Like Fire And Ice
by nillacat
Summary: After Pain's attack on the Hidden Leaf, the village is left devastated and vulnerable. Nanami and her ninja feline partner, Aozora, are sent to aid the Hidden Leaf where they meet the hot-blooded ninja hound user, Kiba.
1. Chapter Description and Timeline

**LIKE FIRE AND ICE: CHARACTER DESCRIPTION AND TIMELINE**

The story "Like Fire and Ice" is a Naruto Shippuden fanfiction. This story is set during the period after Pain has attacked the Hidden Leaf, the Kage have met and formed the Allied Shinobi Forces, and Lady Tsunade has woken up from her coma. I will try to keep the story as canon as possible. BEWARE SPOILERS.

I do not own _Naruto._ This is a fanfiction and all characters except for my two original characters are the property of Kishimoto.

 **OC CHARACTER:**

First name – Nanami (Seven Seas) Nekoyama (Cat Mountain)

Ninja cat partner - Aozora (Blue Sky)

 **CHARACTER DESCRIPTION:**

 **Nanami Nekoyama**

Eyes – Silver with black slit pupils, similar to a cat

Hair – Silver hair. Bangs peak in the middle of the forehead and the rest of her bangs frame the outside of her face. She has long hair that cascades down her back. Two small braids pin the sides of her hair back and the braids are secured to the back of her head with a sapphire hair clip.

Facial Features – Catlike. A scar runs down her left eye. Blue fang markings on her cheeks, similar to Kiba's but horizontal.

Outfit – Black top with a light blue outline and no sleeves. The bottom of her shirt reaches just above her black shorts and has slits on the sides. The top has a V-neck shape, with fishnet under the top that peaks out. Her black shorts reach above her thighs and she has bandages that run from her knees to the bottom of her shorts. A kunai/shuriken pouch is secured to her right thigh. She wears grey ninja shoes that reach her shins. Bandages on her left bicep and right forearm and she wears grey fingerless gloves. Wears a navy blue Hidden Mist forehead protector over her forehead.

Weapons – Wears a katana sword on her back.

Specialties – Catlike reflexes, good hearing, swift and agile, can see in complete darkness.

 **Aozora**

Appearance – a small white cat with black tipped fur on ears and paws.


	2. Chapter 1

_**"I wanna go back to the time when you first told me your name."**_

 **Chapter One**

Kiba trapesed through the streets of Konohagakure with his fists shoved in his jacket pockets and his buddy Akamaru padding by his side. The once small pup had matured into a beast and had become quite the sparring partner. Kiba had matured as well and he prided himself a little on how his looks had progressed throughout the years. A few girls even seemed to notice, now that Sasuke was no longer in the village. Nothing ever panned out, but he enjoyed the little attention he had received a handful of times nonetheless.

The sun beamed down on him and he sighed heavily, cursing the early morning. He had _just_ returned from a mission and already the Hokage was summoning him for yet another one. Couldn't he have one measly day off? Kiba took a moment to wave at shop owners who were trying to build back their livelihoods after the havoc Pain had wreaked upon the village.

 _I probably shouldn't complain,_ Kiba thought. _Considering everything that's happening and that we'll possibly be preparing for war, things are going to get worse._

As silly as it seemed, considering the village was in disarray, these were probably more mellow times compared to what was to come.

As he reached the Hokage's office, his stomach twisted with each fatal step.

He pushed the door open and saw his fellow comrades waiting on him. Hinata, the quiet but budding Hyuga. Sai, the social awkward Sasuke lookalike. Sakura, the pink haired spitfire. Ino, the annoying yet beautiful kunoichi. Shino, the forgettable bug-freak. Shikamaru, the lazy yet reliable tactician. And Choji, the fa- uh, curvy glutton.

Standing near the Hokage's desk and facing towards them was a silver-haired beauty. She stood strong and sure of herself, with equally silver eyes that pierced into his soul and sized him up with only one glance. For a moment, all he could focus on were those eyes, with pupils like slits that were a trait among his clan, and a scar running vertically down her left eye.

He heard a growl escape from Akamaru that snapped Kiba out of his daze. That's when he was able to take in the full picture. This woman had blue fang like triangles on her cheeks, the same as the marking of his clan, but running horizontally on her face instead of vertically like his own. Reality set in, even before he noticed the small white ninja cat with black tipped ears and paws that was standing next to the mysterious woman. The cat hissed in return.

The girl shared a sharp look with the cat and the cat turned her nose up.

"I apologize for her outburst. Aozora's not used to seeing ninja hounds."

Something immediately irked Kiba about this girl, but then again it didn't take much to set him off. Maybe it was the way she stood there all self-assured and smug looking. Just like a cat.

"Yeah, well, she'll need to get used to it. Keep your cat away if you can't control her," Kiba blurted.

The woman didn't reply but instead cast a sideways look at Akamaru, smirking. Kiba looked down at his partner and realized his furry friend was still baring fangs at the feline.

"Down, Akamaru." Kiba said through gritted teeth.

At that moment, a blonde haired knuckleheaded ninja burst through the opening of the door where Kiba was still standing and smacked into him, nearly knocking Kiba to the ground.

"Watch it, Naruto!"

"WELL DON'T BE STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DOORWAY BLOCKING EVERYONE'S WAY." Naruto retorted, equally as annoyed.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. "You're embarrassing all of us in front of our guest." Sakura bowed to the Hokage, "I'm sorry, Milady."

Lady Tsunade, the Hokage of the Leaf Village, rubbed her forehead and sighed in exasperation. "Both of you just get your asses in here so we can start the meeting."

"Oh yeah," Naruto piped up, only now noticing the stranger standing before them as he and Kiba joined the group. "Who's she?"

"My name is Nanami Nekoyama." She bowed as a greeting. "Nice to meet all of you."

"Nanami is a Ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist of the Land of Water." Tsunade continued for her as an introduction. "She'll be aiding our village and performing missions with all of you for the foreseeable future."

Kiba sneered, "What do we need her help for?" He was immediately off-put by the mention of the Nekoyama clan.

"If you hadn't noticed, Kiba," Lady Tsunade replied, rather coldly, "our village is in shambles after Pain's attack. These are desperate times and our village is vulnerable."

This was a bit of an understatement. Pain's attack on the Hidden Leaf had destroyed the entire village, save for the Hokage faces. Everything was having to be built again from the ground up. To say that they were desperate was putting it mildly.

"Uh, no offense," Shikamaru piped up. "But why the Hidden Mist Village? We haven't always had the best relationship with them."

"It's true that our villages haven't exactly been on the best of terms, but with the Allied Shinobi Forces, the Mizukage has sent Nanami as a sign of good faith."

Nanami stood there, composed and with no noticeable reaction.

"And," the Hokage continued, "we may be needing her help sometime soon. The Allied Shinobi Forces have been doing all they can to keep open communication continually flowing through the alliance. The Mizukage has informed me of rumors circulating that a village within the Land of Water is planning on taking advantage of the Hidden Leaf during its weak state. They'll be attempting to handle it internally, but we thought it best to have Nanami here just in case."

"If it's a Village within the Land of Water," Shino began coolly, "how do we know if we can trust her. Could she not be a possible spy?"

"Nanami is a highly respected ninja in the Hidden Mist who's done great and heroic things for the Land of Water," Tsunade said, unaware that all she was doing was furthering Kiba's dislike for this woman. "She's the prodigy of her clan and highly likely to be taking the Mizukage's seat in the future."

His group tried not to let it show, but it was clear they were underestimating her a bit due to the size of her ninja cat. However, this was something Kiba understood all too well. Back when Kiba was a Genin fresh out of the Academy, people often underestimated Akamaru due to his size.

"For her to betray us would tear apart the trust of the Allied Shinobi Forces," Tsunade continued. "I've chosen to place my faith in her. And I don't put my trust in people lightly. Do not embarrass our village in front of our ally."

The Hokage glared at them and although it was directed at the entire group, Kiba was sure the threat was meant for himself and Naruto.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you." Sakura bowed. "My name is Sakura Haruno."

The group went around, introducing themselves politely.

"Kiba Inuzuka," he practically barked at her.

"Inuzuka?" Nanami replied. "I had heard the Inuzuka clan resided in this village. I look forward to..." She trailed off as if choosing her words carefully and sizing him up yet again. "Testing your strength."

"Strength?" Naruto laughed, clutching his belly and slapping Kiba on the back. "If you want to test REAL strength, then you should battle against me. The future Hokage!" Naruto pointed his thumb towards himself, boisterous.

"Nekoyama? As in cat mountain?" Sai piped up. "Isn't that similar to the Inuzuka clan, but instead of ninja hounds it specializes in ninja felines?"

Kiba scoffed and muttered, "Don't compare my bloodline with that trash clan."

Nanami replied to Sai, pretending not to hear Kiba. "It is. My father is the head of our clan."

"My mother is the head of mine, but you don't hear me bragging about it," Kiba continued to mutter. Tsunade shot him a glare that was perfectly clear: Shut up.

"A cat clan in the Hidden Mist Village?" Ino piped up, cocking an eyebrow. "I thought cats hated water."

"You'd be surprised at how easily adaptable cats can be," Nanami said.

 _Not likely,_ Kiba thought.

"It's a common thought that cats can't be near water and that it's their greatest weakness. The cats of my clan have adapted to the water element and it's become an asset instead of a hindrance. People often underestimate ninja cats and ninja believe they can use water ninjutsu to their advantage. However, Aozora and I specialize in water ninjutsu as well as fire."

"Woah!" Naruto cried out. "You've mastered dual chakra nature?!"

"I wouldn't say mastered, but Aozora and I have been working hard on our techniques."

Kiba rolled his eyes at her fake modesty.

"You'll have plenty of time to get well acquainted," Lady Tsunade said. "As I said, Nanami will be staying in the Hidden Leaf until further notice. Although there isn't much to show right now, I trust you'll guide her around the village, introduce her, and train with her. Since she'll be assigned with teams for missions from here on out. I hope you'll make her feel welcome and put in effort on learning how to work effectively with her."

"Kiba," the Hokage continued, turning her attention towards him. "Since you also specialize with using animals as regular ninja partners, I'll leave her with you and Akamaru."

"But-" Kiba started and was quickly cut off.

"I don't want to hear it. I'm well aware you're used to working with ninja hounds, but it's essential for us that you and Akamaru get used to being near a ninja cat user. For teams to work effectively, _everyone_ needs to be in sync."

Nanami seemed none too pleased about this decision, but she only showed it on her face for a moment and then she was back to her indifferent expression. Apparently, she thought it better than to argue with their Hokage.

"Yes, ma'am," Kiba said, practically through gritted teeth.

Naruto wasn't the only one who snickered.


	3. Chapter 2

_**"My demons are mean, but I'm meaner."**_

 **Chapter Two**

The group of ninjas filed out of Lady Tsunade's office and into the streets of Konohagakure. They fell into step together, heading no place in particular.

"So, Nanami," Sakura began, looking to make conversation with the mysterious newcomer, "the Hidden Mist village is so much different from ours. I apologize that there's not much to show right now, but if you have any questions feel free to ask! Have you ever been to the Hidden Leaf before?"

"No," Nanami said. "Unfortunately, I never had the honor. I've heard it was a beautiful village before the tragedy the Akatsuki caused. Hopefully, I'll be around to see it restored to its former glory."

Kiba rolled his eyes, _so formal._

"Hidden Mist Village..." Naruto said, tapping his chin. "Didn't that used to be known as Blood Mist Village?"

A dark expression crossed over Nanami's features. "Ah."

"Scary," Naruto continued. "Did you ever know Zabuza? Or Haku?"

Nanami's eyes flashed with something fierce and in an instant, her hand was wrapped around Naruto's throat, banging his body against a nearby building. With all the reflexes expected of ninja, Naruto's comrades were pulling kunai and readying themselves into defensive positions. A flash of blue flame appeared in between the mysterious woman and the group of ninja and once it cleared, a large saber-toothed cat resembling the once small white feline stood in its place, defending her owner from any attacks.

"What the-?" Ino yelled out and the ninja started at the sight.

"What do you know of Zabuza?" Nanami hissed.

"I knew this wasn't a good idea," Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag."

"Woah, nothing! What's your deal, lady?!" Naruto struggled beneath her grip and her claws dug into his neck, drawing a bit of blood.

"Naruto!" Hinata cried.

"What's up with this girl?" Ino said under her breath.

Nanami cast a sideways look at the group of ninja and then back to Naruto's confused form. She stood silently for a moment, seeming to be assessing the situation. Reluctantly, she released her grip from Naruto's neck and took a tentative step back. Naruto coughed and brought his hand to his neck, wiping away the trickle of blood.

The silver-haired ninja bowed to the group. "I apologize for my hasty reaction. I hope my first impression doesn't taint our teamwork for future missions."

Aozora took this as an indication to back down and in another flash of blue flame, she returned to her small state.

"First impressions are essential, according to the books I've read," Sai chimed in. "But from what Naruto and Sakura have taught me, people can be redeemed. Pussy."

Nanami looked at him, unsure how to take that. The whole group went awkwardly silent, most likely wondering in which context he assigned her nickname for – cat or coward.

Sakura whacked Sai over the head with her fist, "This is no time for your weird nicknames!"

"I think Baka suits her better," Kiba sneered.

"That's your nickname," Naruto mumbled.

"What the hell?!" Kiba yelled at him. "She's the one who just had her hand wrapped around your throat! What are you coming at me for?"

"My actions were rash," Nanami said. "Please forgive my rudeness. " But her strong and confident stance from earlier was completely gone. Instead, her eyes were glazed over and she appeared as if she wasn't fully in front of them anymore. "I... There have been questions I've been seeking regarding Zabuza."

"You could have just asked," Naruto grumbled, rubbing his neck.

"Naruto and I encountered Zabuza on one of our first missions as Genin," Sakura said. "We may be able to answer any questions you have."

"Well," Nanami's hand came to her face, touching the scar on her eye instinctively. Something about her was very different from the girl Kiba had encountered in the Hokage's office only moments ago. "I'd like to take you up on your offer, but I have to go. Another time."

She walked off and, although she was clearly trying to stay calm and composed about it, there was a hasty nervousness to her step.

"Where could possibly she need to go?" Shino wondered. Despite the goggles, Kiba was sure Shino was narrowing his eyes at her.

"What I want to know is what was up with the cat," Choji said.

They all looked at him and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that was weird," Naruto said. Then added, "But kind of cool."

As soon as Nanami was out of sight of the leaf ninja, she sprinted down the road and rounded a corner, ducking between two buildings. She brought her hands in front of her face, watching as they trembled. She clenched her fists together and when the shaking refused to cease, she slammed her fist against the side of the building.

"Kuso," Nanami cursed.

She leaned against the building and slid down, sitting on the hard ground. Aozora licked her trembling hands, trying to comfort her. Nanami lifted the hand to stroke her soft fur, not only in gratitude but also hoping that it would soothe her nerves.

Even after all these years, she thought she was past all of this. When she had heard about Zabuza's death, she felt many feelings: anger, resentment, uncertainty, relief.

But most of all, especially since there were conflicting stories on how he died, she felt jealousy. Jealousy that she wasn't the one to stomp the life out of him. She wanted to move past it. There was nothing she could do to change the circumstances. She thought she had.

Her embarrassment in front of the leaf ninja was proof that she hadn't.

She even thought that she wanted to know the truth of how he died. In that moment of anger, she was prepared to squeeze the life out of that blonde-headed loudmouth in order to get it. But once the pink ninja named Sakura offered her the chance for it, she backed down like a coward. Maybe she really did deserve the name Pussy.

"So much for representing the Nekoyama clan in a positive light, huh girl?" She said to Aozora, humiliated at the way she had let her emotions get the best of her.

"You can say that again," a voice called out in the small alley and there was bark in agreement.

 _As if the humiliation couldn't any get worse,_ Nanami thought.

Nanami stood up and dusted herself off, trying to regain what little composure she had left as she faced the hound ninja.

"Is this how you treat your teammates at home," Kiba asked. "Baka?"

Nanami tried to think of some clever response but came up empty-handed.

"Cats," Kiba sighed. "So temperamental. And here you had us all thinking you were cool and collected. Secret's out now. That illusion's been shattered."

Nanami placed her hands on her hips and smirked back at him. "And what would you know about being cool and collected? You practically foam at the mouth when it comes to that Naruto kid. Do I sense a bit of jealousy?"

"I HAVE NO REASON TO BE JEALOUS OF HIM!" He yelled out.

She continued to smirk and Kiba tried to pull himself together. It was clear he had just proved her point.

Finally, Kiba chuckled. "Come on, let's grab some food. You can tell me all about your brooding past. Or not. Either way, Lady Tsunade says you're my responsibility now, so from now on you gotta listen to me."

Nanami rolled her eyes, but she still followed Kiba as he led them towards Ichiraku.

She hadn't noticed that her hands had stopped shaking.


	4. Chapter 3

_**"I believe in annoyed at first sight."**_

 **Chapter Three**

Kiba led them down the streets of Konohagakure towards the Ichiraku Ramen Shop – one of the few businesses that were back up and running, most likely thanks to Naruto's obsession. Nanami walked along with him silently, wondering how she could salvage her dignity and go back to being the silent and stoic woman he had first met. That woman seemed to have a leg up and pissed Kiba off as a bonus.

Nanami could hear her father's voice in her head right now, scolding her. _You're the pride of the Nekoyama clan. Do not embarrass us in front of the Hidden Leaf when you know how much better you are than them. It'll be your duty to lead when you take over as Mizukage and it's essential you leave a positive impression. I trust you won't let your flighty and unpredictable personality get in the way of your duties._

But Nanami was coming up short. She had the appearance of a strong and mysterious ninja, but inside she knew she was far from it. Nanami often found it difficult to pretend to be something she wasn't and this hound ninja wasn't making it any easier for her. Every time he spoke to Nanami, her natural instincts took over.

"So," Nanami said, breaking the silence, "how did you find me?"

"I memorized your scent the second that we met."

Nanami was actually pretty impressed by this.

"Oh? And what do I smell like?"

Kiba felt heat rise to his cheeks and shifted his head slightly to hide his face. He wouldn't admit she smelled like an odd but intoxicating mix of lily and ocean water.

"Like a filthy cat who licks herself and calls it a bath," he lied.

"Says the flea-ridden mutt," she shot back, embarrassed.

Kiba stopped and turned around, pointing his finger in her face. "Look, lady, you're the one who came to _our_ village and you're not exactly getting off on the right foot! Ever thought that maybe you should attempt to make a good impression?"

"You're the one who started insulting me the moment we meant, baka!" Nanami could feel her anger rising and getting the best of her. What was it with this guy? Even though she knew her father would be shaking his head if he were to witness this exchange, she couldn't stop herself from indulging Kiba's ridiculous reactions.

Kiba rolled his eyes and continued towards the ramen shop. Nanami followed after him.

"Besides," she continued, "you guys are the ones who need my help. If it were up to me, I would've never come to this village in the first place."

Kiba scoffed. "Yeah, Blood Mist Village. I bet that's homey."

That was all it took to shut Nanami up. Heat rose to her face and she mustered every ounce of her willpower to avoid knocking his front teeth out.

Kiba sensed he had crossed a line that he wished hadn't, but his pride got in the way of him apologizing. When they reached the ramen shop, he held the door open for her. Nanami stopped, confused and waiting for him to walk in the shop and slam the door in her face.

"Well, are you going in or what? Or would you prefer to eat on the street?"

Nanami watched him for a moment like she was trying to figure out what the trick was.

"Wait for me out here, Aozora," she finally said.

"You too, buddy," Kiba told Akamaru.

Nanami walked through the door and Kiba followed behind her.

This was the first time Kiba saw the back side of her and his eyes immediately caught the sapphire clip pinning her two small braids back. Mesmerized and on some instinct that he couldn't quite pinpoint, he reached out to touch it. Nanami whirled around and snatched his wrist in the air before he had the chance.

"Don't," she hissed.

Kiba got caught in those silver eyes again, unable to move or see anything else. They were intense. Deadly. He thought for a moment that those eyes alone could swallow his entire being and his wrist felt white hot beneath her touch. After a few moments, Nanami's gaze softened and she let go of his wrist.

"You guys are weird," they heard a male voice say next to them.

Nanami and Kiba looked over to see Naruto and Sakura staring at them, chopsticks hovering over their bowls of ramen. Wordlessly, Nanami sat next to Naruto and Kiba sat on her other side.

"Ah, a newcomer!" The ramen shop owner exclaimed. He eyed her forehead protector for a moment. "You're not from around here are you?"

"No sir," Nanami said. "I came here from the Land of Water."

"Nanami came here to aid our village," Sakura said politely.

 _More like terrorize,_ Kiba thought.

"Well then! My name is Teuchi. Please order whatever you like from our menu! There's a discount for first-time customers."

"Arigato," Nanami said gratefully.

Kiba and Nanami placed their orders and Teuchi turned to begin preparing them. Silence rang for a moment between the group. The events from earlier when Nanami had her claws digging into Naruto's neck still hung in the air, making the atmosphere tense.

"So," Naruto said, being the first to break the silence, "tell me about your ninja cat! It was crazy how she transformed from that small cat to the same size as Akamaru in an instant!"

 _That's so like Naruto,_ Kiba thought. _He can be fighting with a person one moment and then become their friend the next._

"Oh," Nanami said, a bit surprised at his friendliness. "It's just a unique ability that Aozora has. There's a special bloodline of cats within the Nekoyama clan that can transform like that. Those cats are given to a select few children in the clan at birth to be raised together."

"Hey, that's a little similar to you and Akamaru, right Kiba? You two have been inseparable since we were all children," Sakura said.

Teuchi sat Nanami and Kiba's bowls of ramen in front of them. They broke their chopsticks, thanked him for the food, and dived into their respective meals.

"I'd love to battle with you sometime!" Naruto said. "I've never heard of the Nekoyama clan before. But if you're anything like Kiba, I doubt you can take me."

"I COULD PUMMEL YOU INTO THE GROUND ANY TIME, ANY DAY!" Kiba yelled at Naruto, leaning around Nanami to point his chopsticks at him.

"Oh yeah?" Naruto said, smiling mischievously. "You're talking to the hero of the village! And if you think you can take me, then how come you couldn't beat me in the Chunin exams. Huhhhhhh?"

"That was years ago! Besides, you're the only one among us who's still a Genin!"

This instantly shut Naruto up and he grew gloomy.

"Actually," Sakura said, "I'd love to see you battle against Kiba, Nanami. It'd be interesting to see a ninja cat user fight a ninja hound user."

"I'm afraid it wouldn't be much of a battle," Nanami said impulsively.

"You're right. You'd be down in seconds," Kiba retorted.

Nanami scoffed. "I'd have you running back to your clan with your tail tucked between your legs."

"Yeah, I'd love to see that! Kiba needs to be taken down a peg or two." Naruto laughed. "I say that we meet at the training grounds tomorrow for a match between you two!"

"You're on," Kiba glowered. "I'll prove to you that Leaf Ninja are superior!"

"Don't cry to me when you're eating those words," Nanami replied.

Kiba smiled at her then, "Want to make a bet out of it?"

"What'd you have in mind?"

"If you can't beat me, then you have to tell me all your clans secrets."

"You and I both know that's out of the question," Nanami said rolling her eyes.

"Fine," Kiba said, tapping his chin with his chopsticks causing a bit of ramen juice to dribble there. "Then you have to tell us what your deal is with Zabuza."

Nanami could practically feel Sakura and Naruto holding their breath as if waiting for her to choke Kiba the same way she had with Naruto.

"No."

"Scared you'll lose?"

Nanami knew he was testing her, but she also knew she wouldn't lose. She couldn't lose, not to this guy. To lose to Kiba would be to shame her clan, embarrass her father, and prove that she didn't have what it took to become the next Mizukage as her father expected of her. She wouldn't let him down again.

"Fine," Nanami finally said. "If I win, you have to spend a day tending to my every need. You'll have to do _whatever_ I say."

"Ooooooohhhhh," Naruto snickered.

"Just like a cat," Kiba scoffed. "Okay, deal. I had a feeling that you couldn't get enough of me." He winked at her.

"Oh, please," she replied, but for some reason she couldn't explain, she felt a small blush rise to her cheeks. "Don't cry to me when your family finds out that you lost to the Nekoyama clan."

Kiba grew still at the thought of that. He could picture his mother, Tsume, beating him within an inch of his life for losing to someone from the Nekoyama clan. He'd never hear the end of it. This wouldn't simply be a battle between ninja. It would be a battle for the pride of their clans.

When the group exited the ramen shop, Akamaru and Aozora were sitting on opposite sides of the building, eyeing each other warily.


	5. Chapter 4

_**"When we fought we were lethal, but we still found a way to make each other melt."**_

 **Chapter Four**

Nanami hadn't expected a crowd to show up to the battle between her and Kiba, but everyone seemed eager to witness the skills of the newcomer. The same group of ninjas she had met yesterday had come to the training grounds to witness their battle along with a few more she met that morning by the names of Neji, Lee, Tenten, Kakashi, Guy, and Yamato.

"This is most exciting!"

"I agree, Lee," Guy said, tossing his arm around the young student's shoulders. "Two young ninjas from polar opposite clans, battling it out for the pride of their family!" The ninja lookalikes battled an onslaught of tears. "You can feel the fire of youth burning passionately in the air! It's almost suffocating!"

"Can you two keep it together for once?" Tenten said exasperated and Neji nodded in agreement.

"You sure you want to take me on in front of everyone?" Kiba asked her, as they faced each other at the training grounds while everyone else stood off to the side. "It's not too late to back down, ya know."

"Getting cold feet already, baka?" Nanami smirked. "I'd hate to embarrass you in front of all your friends."

"So, who wants to place bets?!" Naruto called out. "Kiba and Nanami shouldn't be the only ones who get something out of this. My money's on Nanami, who wants to take the bet?"

"HEY, LOSER, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MY COMRADE! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU BETTING AGAINST ME?" Kiba yelled at Naruto, shaking his fist.

"Well, I mean... look at her. Chick is scary. You saw how she almost snapped my neck yesterday."

Everyone nodded and no one seemed to want to bet against her.

Nanami chucked to Kiba's face and he was obviously growing more annoyed by the second.

Shino let out a sigh. "I'll place a bet on Kiba."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY BET. YOU'LL ALL BE HANDING YOUR MONEY TO ME IN A MATTER OF MOMENTS."

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Kakashi said, shoving his hands into his pockets. He glanced over at Sakura with his one exposed eye, "Sakura, be prepared to have to nurse one or both of them back to health. I have a feeling this is a battle that's not going to end until they're seriously injured."

Nanami appreciated the vote of confidence from the Hidden Leaf ninja regarding the skills they'd yet to see. She'd kicked herself the night before over how easily frazzled she'd gotten around the hound ninja. It hadn't been a day and Nanami knew that she had already let her father down and shattered the appearance he expected her to portray of the Nekoyama clan. Nanami was painfully aware of how she was _supposed_ to act, but every time Kiba opened his mouth, her impulses took over. She couldn't stop herself from engaging him every step of the way.

The cat ninja was pretty confident in her skills as a kunoichi. After all, the only one stronger than her in the Nekoyama clan was her own father who had taught her everything she knew about being a shinobi. Nanami had fought countless battles and had often been an important player in high-rank missions. She was pretty certain she could take down the hound ninja standing before her. Even still, she was a bundle of nerves - terrified of the possibility of letting down her clan and giving Kiba the satisfaction of winning.

Kakashi sensed the two were itching to get the battle started and nodded at Yamato who then stepped forward.

"Alright, I'll be the moderator of this battle. The battle won't end until one of you is no longer able to battle, forfeits, or I call the match to an end." Yamato sighed. "And I feel like I shouldn't have to say this, but I will anyway: don't push it too far. This is supposed to be a _friendly_ battle. Not a fight to the death."

"Ready, Akamaru?" Kiba asked. The large dog barked in agreement.

Nanami and Aozora shared a look, and the female-nin nodded at the cat. In a flash of blue flame, Aozora turned into her battle-ready form as a large saber-toothed cat.

"Woah!" Lee yelled out. "Most impressive!"

Kiba crouched to the ground and pulled a kunai. Simultaneously, Nanami drew her katana and prepared her stance.

"Ready? Begin!" Yamato cried and jumped back to join the group of spectators.

Kiba sprinted towards her and Akamaru rounded to come up behind Nanami. Aozora kept her eyes firmly planted on the hound, never letting her partner's back be exposed.

Kiba's kunai clashed heavily against Nanami's blade and she stood firmly in place, not letting herself be thrown off balance. He pulled his kunai back and ducked, avoiding the swing of her blade. When he attempted to use his legs to sweep Nanami's feet out from beneath her, she jumped backward, performing a backhand spring and landing softly back onto her feet.

The cat and dog seemed to be engaged in their own respective battles, neither letting the other get near their owner. The two were a mess of snarls, claws, and teeth.

Kiba watched the kunoichi silently for a moment, assessing the situation.

 _Kuso,_ he thought. _She's extremely agile and swift. Landing a blow on her isn't going to be easy. She's already as fast as I am when I perform Beat Mimicry._

Kiba gritted his teeth, knowing the only way to make progress in this battle would mean coming at her full force, right away. He had hoped to get a sense of her ninjutsu first.

As Kiba was pondering this and trying to come up with a strategy, he started when Nanami suddenly sprang forward and appeared in front of him in a mere instant. _Fast!_

Nanami swung her blade at him and despite dodging her first strike, she reared back and butted him hard in the shoulder with the handle, causing him to collapse. Kiba recovered himself quick enough to narrowly avoid another swing of her blade. Kiba jumped back to create distance, calling Akamaru to his side.

Akamaru broke away from his battle with Aozora and Kiba tossed the hound a food pill before popping one into his own mouth to increase their chakra.

"I see we're getting serious," Nanami said smirking. She sheathed her blade and brought her hands together, gathering her own chakra.

Kiba lowered himself into his Four Legs Technique. "Ninja Art: Beast Mimicry." Kiba's appearance grew fiercer, his claws extending. "Man-Beast Clone!" Akamaru transformed into a copy of Kiba and both wasted no time charging at Nanami. They sprang at her as fast as she had when landing her first on Kiba.

Kiba's shoulder made a solid landing to Nanami's gut and the Akamaru clone of Kiba sprang over his back to land an uppercut.

 _Got her,_ he thought, feeling a bit smug.

But suddenly Kiba felt a splash of water against his face and realized her form vanished into a puddle of water.

 _What?! A water clone?_

"Ninja Art!" He heard her call behind him. "Beast Mimicry."

He whirled around and watched as her form became fiercer and more feline.

"Cat Chakra Claw!" She yelled and sprang forward with nails that could cut through metal.

Acting fast, Kiba quickly threw a smoke bomb to the ground. He knew that although she likely had the upper hand when it came to stealth and reflexes, his sense of smell was far superior. He sprang away from his position to avoid those razor-sharp claws and retreated into the smoke.

Nanami spun around, trying to see in all directions. Aozora managed to find her in the smoke and took up the position at her back.

 _Kuso,_ Nanami cursed. _I can see in the dark, but there's no seeing past this smoke. My only option is to find my way out of it._

"Fang Over Fang!"

In an instant, she and Aozora were struck with incredible force and they skidded against the ground, out of the smoke.

Kiba and Akamaru's clone of him smirked as the cat ninjas lying on the ground. They picked themselves back up and before Kiba could land another smoke bomb, Nanami performed the necessary hand signs.

"Water Style: Black Rain Jutsu!"

A cloud formed over the hound ninja and oil poured from the sky onto them just as Kiba threw down another smoke bomb.

Nanami smirked, knowing the damage was already done. She may not have as strong of a sense of smell as Kiba, but it was hard to mask the smell of oil.

Nanami stood still in the cloud of smoke, letting her senses guide her while she tried to remain calm.

 _There,_ she thought, pinpointing his location.

"Fang over Fang!"

Nanami and Aozora barley dodged his attack and she quickly sprang onto Aozora's back as the ninja cat continued them towards safety. Nanami used the moment as an opportunity to prepare her hand signs for the next attack.

The smoke cleared a bit thanks to the whirlwind like nature that Kiba's attack created, making it a bit easier to spot the two hound ninja.

"Fire Style: Tiger Arrow Jutsu!" Blue fire sprang from Nanami's fingertips, creating a bow and arrow. Aozora rounded the ninja as Nanami rode on her back, carefully aiming her fire arrow. As she released the arrow, a blue flamed tiger sprang through the air and landed a direct hit on Kiba and Akamaru.

Thanks to the oil, the two went up in flames within moments. With the direct hit, Akamaru skidded to the ground and changed from his Kiba form back into the large hound. Kiba hit the base of a tree and flopped to the ground.

If this had been any battle between enemy ninja, Nanami could have ended it right there, but this was a fight with a new comrade. Nanami performed her hand seals and shot water from her mouth to put out the flames before any serious damage was done.

As Nanami approached him, Kiba tried struggling to his feet. Nanami unsheathed her katana and pointed it towards him. She used the tip to lift his chin to meet her eyes and he winced in response.

Yamato looked down at Kiba who had no major burns but suffered singed hair and clothing, despite also being dripping wet. "I call this battle to an end. Nanami is the winner!"

"Ha! You _lose_ Shino! Cough up the money." Naruto extended his hand out and Shino let out a heavy sigh before reaching into his pocket.

Nanami's blade was still pointed towards Kiba and his eyes bore into her soul, shining with white-hot rage. After sheathing her blade, Nanami extended her hand towards Kiba to help him off the ground.

"That was some battle," Nanami admitted. "If I hadn't been able to hit you with oil, you definitely would've gotten me with your last attack."

Kiba slapped her hand away and stood to his feet. "Don't patronize me."

"Here, Kiba," Sakura said, stepping forward. "Let me heal your wounds."

"I don't need any of your help," Kiba snapped.

"Let it go, Kiba," Kakashi warned.

"Whatever," Kiba said through gritted teeth. "C'mon, Akamaru."

The hound rose from the ground and the two sulked off from the training grounds.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his neck. "I knew this wasn't such a good idea."

Nanami stared after Kiba's retreating form. Although it was a fair battle, she had a sense of the kind of defeat Kiba was feeling. She could picture clearly the humiliation she would have suffered had she lost.

Kakashi was right, the battle wasn't a good idea.

* * *

When Kiba was out of sight of the others, he reared his fist back and punched a tree, leaving a dent in the wood.

 _Kuso,_ Kiba cursed in his mind.

Although Kiba knew had it been a real fight against an enemy that he would have persevered until his last breath, he was pissed about always coming up short to his teammates. Ever since Kiba lost to Naruto in the first Chunin Exams, he had felt inadequate and like his comrades were leaving him behind.

Sure, Kiba was pretty positive he could win against of few of his comrades. However, growing up, Kiba had never expected Naruto to leave him in his metaphorical dust. That kid had grown so s _trong_ over the last few years and Kiba felt as if he was staying stagnant. Kiba put on a show of a cocky guy, but inside he often wondered if he had what it took to be a strong shinobi.

 _If I don't train hard and get stronger, I'll never be able to protect the people I care about during the war._

 _"That was some battle. If I hadn't been able to hit you with the oil, you definitely would've gotten me with your last attack."_

Kiba thought back to the words Nanami had spoken to him right before he had refused her extended hand. A small twinge of guilt twisted his stomach. Kiba couldn't promise he would've been nearly as nice if he had come up the victor.

Akamaru's whine broke Kiba from his thoughts and he looked down at his hound who stared up at him with concern.

"I'm alright, buddy." Kiba ruffled Akamaru's fur. "Let's go home and pray mom doesn't find out about this."


	6. Chapter 5

_**"We pretended like we didn't care, but we cared."**_

 **Chapter Five**

Kiba lay in his bed the next morning, still kicking himself over the way he left the training grounds. After all, one of them had to be the loser.

 _"That was some battle. If I hadn't been able to hit you with the oil, you definitely would've gotten me with your last attack."_

He pictured Nanami standing over him with the sun behind her, creating a soft angelic glow. Her silver hair spilled over her slender frame as she leaned towards him with her hand extended.

Kiba wondered why he was thinking about that now, but more so he wondered why she was so nice about his defeat. The moment he knew that he lost the battle and she held her katana against his chin, he prepared himself for relentless mocking. He never expected those silver eyes to soften, for her to sheath her sword, or for her eyes to close, crinkling as she smiled at him.

"Do you have a fever? Your cheeks are flushed."

Kiba started and looked up to see his sister, Hana, standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

"W-what? No, I'm fine."

Hana came over to sit on the edge of his bed. Kiba sat up and leaned against his pillow.

"Oh, I get it," Hana smiled at him knowingly and Kiba cocked an eyebrow. "You're embarrassed! Because you lost your battle to that cat ninja," Hana teased

Kiba felt all the heat leave his body and his face grow pale. "Does mom know?"

"Ha, no and you better hope she never finds out! Don't worry, I threatened Naruto and said he better keep his loud mouth shut when he blabbed it to me yesterday. I don't think anyone else will say anything. Your teammates are a little worried about you."

Kiba thought that was actually a little more mortifying, but regardless, he was relieved to know he could walk out of his room without dealing with the wrath of Tsume.

"Well," Hana slapped him on his knee, "no sense of moping around all day. You want to come to help me out at the veterinary clinic?"

While Kiba somewhat enjoyed helping his sister there, he thought for a moment and then decisively threw back the covers.

"No," Kiba said, heading to his drawers to gather his clothing. "I think I'll be busy today."

* * *

Nanami lay curled in the bed of her lonely apartment, replaying yesterday's events in her mind. She was relieved she had won the match and could perfectly picture her father beaming at her with pride for winning against a member of the Inuzuka clan.

The young cat ninja stared out her bedroom window as Aozora's small form rested peacefully on the pillow next to her. Nanami wondered why, even though her father was so far away right now, he still had an enormous amount of control over her thoughts and actions.

Even right now, all she could think was that he would have been disappointed in her for offering her hand to Kiba at the end of the match. He'd have scolded her for giving the hound ninja the opportunity to smack her hand away like that. Fleetingly, she wondered if Kiba was doing okay.

She sighed heavily and Aozora opened an eye and looked at her owner, annoyed that her peaceful slumber was disturbed.

Nanami glared back at her, "Oh, don't look at me like that." Nanami turned on her back and flopped her arm over her face, blocking her eyes. She didn't know why she was letting this bother her so much, but it did. She could still see the fury in Kiba's eyes and feel the sting of his hand slapping hers away.

A knock on the door broke Nanami from her thoughts. Aozora looked up for only a moment, then rested her head back on the pillow to resume her morning slumber.

Nanami padded towards the door barefoot, still in her sleeping clothes of grey sweatpants and a black tank top. She imagined the only person at her door so early must be someone summoning her to the Hokage's office for a meeting or mission. After all, no one else knew where she was living. That's why when Nanami slung the door open, she was surprised to see Kiba standing outside.

"Oh, uh, it's you," she said, coming up short for words.

"Is that how you greet all of your guests?" Kiba looked her over for a split second then quickly turned his head away. "Well, are you gonna get ready, or what?"

"Get ready for...?"

He swung his head back at her. "Baka," he spat, "did you forget already? I never imagined a cat's memory was so poor. We made a bet, remember?"

 _If I win, you have to spend a day tending to my every need. You'll have to do whatever I say._

Nanami smirked, remembering. "I never pegged you for the honorable type." Nanami crossed her arms over her chest. "Or maybe you just enjoy torture."

 _I must,_ Kiba thought. He allowed himself only the briefest glance down where her arms were crossed and hoped she hadn't noticed.

"Just go get dressed so we can get this over with."

Nanami held the door open for him and stepped aside. Kiba looked at her, surprised, much like Nanami had looked at him when he had held the door open for her at the ramen shop.

"You gonna come in or what, baka?" Nanami asked. "It's gonna take me a minute to get ready."

Kiba stepped inside and Nanami closed the door softly behind him before continuing. "You can sit and make yourself comfortable." Nanami paused. "Akamaru isn't with you?" She asked, trying to make conversation to ease the tension.

"No, I told him he could stay home. I wasn't sure if Aozora was coming and I thought that there's no point in subjecting him to this hell, too."

Nanami breathed out a sigh of relief. As weird as it seemed, she was grateful for him to be bickering at her. Even though they'd only known each other for two days, it meant things were back to normal.

"Tea?" Nanami asked but didn't wait for his response as she made her way to the kitchen.

Tea sounded good to Kiba right now because his throat felt so dry. More than anything, though, he wished Nanami would change. He imagined her when she first opened the door, in a skin-tight low-cut top and her silver hair splayed out softly over her shoulders, instead of how she normally wore it with the sides being pinned back by braids. When he had looked at her, noticing her state of dress, he had to turn his face quickly to hide his blush. She may be super annoying to him, but she's still a girl.

While Nanami put the kettle on to heat, she walked into her bedroom to change into her civilian clothes. From her small closet, she pulled her black skirt, dark blue cropped shirt that tied in the front, and a pair of grey boots. After dressing, she went into the bathroom to braid the sides of her hair and pin them with her customary sapphire hair clip. Nanami was a little embarrassed by her tussled bedhead as she brushed out her long silver locks, but quickly pushed the thought out her mind. Why should she care?

After completing the rest of her bathroom routine, Nanami finished making the tea and brought it on a trey along with the teacups into the living room. Nanami sat the trey onto the coffee table and poured their tea before settling down.

"Thanks," Kiba mumbled, eyeing her like she may have poisoned his drink.

"So," Nanami said as she picked up her teacup. "What are we doing today?"

"You're the one who said I had to do whatever you said today, why are you asking me?"

"Obviously because you're the one that knows this place," Nanami replied.

Kiba looked at the ceiling, pondering this. "Well, considering the state the village is in, there's not much to do. We can eat. I think the library is open."

Nanami thought about this then said, "Let's finish our tea and then we can walk around. We'll do whatever comes out to me."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say."

"That's right. Whatever _I_ say." Nanami laughed.

Kiba smiled a little at her, although he made sure she didn't notice. Kiba then looked around her living room, noting that there wasn't much going on in the small space. I guess that's what happens when you're staying in a foreign village that you don't expect to live in forever. Really, the only thing in the living room was the couch and coffee table.

However, Kiba noted the wilting vase of lilies next to the tea kettle.

* * *

"How did you know where I was staying?" Nanami asked Kiba as they strolled down the street.

"Lady Tsunade told me. She did say she was placing you in my care, after all," Kiba lied. He didn't want to admit that he had tracked her scent to find her.

"Oh," Nanami said, accepting his excuse. "That makes sense."

Nanami's eye caught the sight of a dango shop and she immediately grabbed his hand to lead him along with her towards it. Kiba started a little at the feeling of her hand holding his but accepted it as she continued to drag him along. Her palm was rougher than he had imagined, most likely from using fire ninjutsu and battling with a katana.

She walked through the door and placed a to-go order that was enough for the two of them. Kiba hadn't let go of her hand and Nanami looked down, only now noticing their locked palms.

"Why the hell are you holding my hand, baka?" She said, flustered, immediately letting go of his grip.

"You're the one that grabbed my hand! You're the baka!" He yelled at her.

"As if," she said, turning her nose up at him. Nanami had left Aozora behind at the apartment, but to Kiba, they honestly seemed one and the same.

As the shop owner handed Nanami her bag of goodies, Kiba reached for his wallet to pay for the food.

"Oh," Nanami said, surprised. "You don't have to do that."

"It's nothing. You won the bet after all, so it's my treat."

"Kiba and Nanami?"

The pair turned to see Sakura, who had just walked into the dango shop. Kiba had forgotten how much the pink haired ninja loved sweets and how often she frequented this place.

"Hey, Sakura," Kiba replied and Nanami smiled at her as a hello.

"Are you two... together?" She asked, tentatively.

"W-WHAT, NO OF COURSE NOT," Kiba yelled out reflexively in his trademark fashion of getting too worked up too quickly.

"Kiba just has to do everything I say, because he lost that bet we made at the ramen shop. Remember?" Nanami said, a bit calmer than Kiba, but flustered all the same.

"Oh, that's right," Sakura giggled. "Sorry, I had seen the two of you walk in together and you just seemed so much like a couple. I wouldn't be surprised if Kiba was already trying to make a move on a pretty girl like you. Boys can be such terrible flirts." She winked at Nanami.

"Aren't you supposed to be a medical ninja, Sakura?" Kiba said, crossing his arms. "You need to get your head examined."

Nanami's face heated, knowing that this girl had seen her dragging Kiba into the dango shop by his hand. "Like I would ever get with this baka. Besides, he's a mutt from the Inuzuka clan."

"Please, I'm the one who'd never hook up with _you._ " Kiba shot back. "A feral cat from the Nekoyama clan."

Sakura seemed a little annoyed but breezily added, "Whatever, but you know what they say: opposites attract." She brushed past the two to place her order.

After exiting the dango shop, Nanami and Kiba didn't say much to each other and walked in silence for a while before approaching a dock overlooking the water. Kiba watched as Nanami's shoulders visibly relaxed and her eyes glazed over as the breeze blew her silver hair in front of her. The cat ninja tossed her hair back behind her and walked down the dock to sit on the edge.

Kiba stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. After a few seconds, he made his way over and sat next to her while Nanami pulled their food out of the container.

They ate in continued silence and Kiba struggled for something to say, but Nanami broke the quiet first.

"I like this," she said. Kiba looked over at her, but her gaze was fixed on the water. "Just being near water makes me feel at home. It's still and... peaceful. Serene."

Kiba looked out over the water as well. "Yeah. I guess I never really noticed before."

"You never come out here?"

"Not really. As a kid, Sasuke was usually out here since it's close to the Uchiha district."

"Sasuke?" Nanami asked.

"Right, I forgot you don't know him." Kiba rubbed the back of his neck. "He's, uh, well he used to be a comrade."

"Hmmm, but not anymore?" Nanami thought as she looked out over the water. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"I'm guessing you probably heard about him. He's... the one who attacked the summit."

Nanami's head snapped towards Kiba. "You knew him? I had forgotten that he's a rogue Hidden Leaf nin"

"Yeah. We were in the Academy together. He's always been a kind of quiet and brooding guy, but he wasn't always like... that."

"What changed?"

"Ah. I don't know everything as clearly as Naruto and Sakura. They were teammates with him. But essentially it has to do with revenge. He's been obsessed with it ever since his family was slaughtered."

Kiba heard a thud and noticed that Nanami had dropped her dango onto the dock. He glanced over at her and saw her hands shaking on her lap. She balled them into fists, gripping her skirt.

"Revenge. Hm. I get that. I wished I could've had mine."

Kiba looked at her hard. "Feel lucky that you didn't. Sasuke got his revenge, but it's still not enough. He's consumed by hatred and now... Now he's unrecognizable." Kiba looked back over the water. "But Sakura and Naruto still think they can save him from himself. I'm not so sure they can. I hope they do."

"Revenge doesn't have to change a person," Nanami said, and Kiba looked over at her questioningly. She stared down at her hands, still shaking. "Sometimes it's just about wanting peace of mind. To know that the person or people who destroyed you get exactly what they deserve."

Kiba's body moved without his brain giving him permission and he took her hand in his. She looked into his eyes, startled. "It does change you. I don't know what happened to you, but sometimes it takes more strength to remain kind after a cruel situation. Naruto chose kindness over revenge after his master was killed in order to help end the cycle of hatred. Thanks to that one choice, our village was saved and lives were brought back."

Nanami smiled at Kiba. "I'd heard stories about Naruto Uzumaki before coming here. He's become a little famous. When I met him, it was hard to believe a guy like him is really the hero of the village who defeated Pain of the Akatsuki."

"Tell me about it," Kiba rolled his eyes. "Don't let him know you already knew who he is. He's already got a big head."

Nanami chuckled, "I sensed that. Don't worry I won't."

They fell silent again, but Kiba still held her hand in his.

"Tell me," Nanami said. "If that's just how Naruto is, then I can get why he'd want to save Sasuke. But what about Sakura? Why does she want to save a guy like him?"

"Well," Kiba smiled, "because she loves him. She's always loved him. I guess love makes people do stupid things."

"That must be nice. To have someone who would care so much that they'd risk their life to save you. Even if it's from yourself."

"Ah," Kiba agreed.

Kiba noticed Nanami's hands had stopped shaking and gently let go of the one he was holding. He felt a little weird to realize that he didn't want to.

Kiba reached into the food container to hand Nanami some dango to replace the one she had dropped and then looked back out at the water before speaking.

"Nanami..." He could tell from the corner of his eye that she was looking at him, but he kept his eyes on the water. "I just – I want you to know that you can tell me about Zabuza. If you want. You don't have to. But you can."

"Maybe one day. But not now." Nanami followed his gaze out over the water. "Arigato, Kiba."


	7. Chapter 6

_**"If you only knew how much those little moments with you mattered to me."**_

 **Chapter Six**

Nanami and Kiba sat on the dock for a while, sometimes talking, sometimes in silence, sometimes bickering at each other. Kiba had left at one point close to lunch time to grab them a proper meal, considering all either them had that morning was dango and tea.

As they ate their meal, Nanami taught Kiba how to skip rocks on the water, surprised that he had never learned how as a kid.

"Skipping rocks was pretty much my whole childhood," Nanami laughed, skipping a rock expertly across the water from the pile they had collected.

Kiba tossed the rock he was holding and it immediately plopped and sank into the water. "Tch, whatever, it's a stupid skill." He watched her as she continued skipping rocks. "So... tell me about your clan."

Nanami shot him a warning look.

"Hey, no ulterior motive here," Kiba said, holding his hands up in mock innocence as he sat cross-legged next to her. "I'm not asking for any special secrets. I'm just curious at how brutal a cat clan can actually be."

She continued skipping rocks and for a moment and he was sure that she was going to ignore his question. "I – I just don't know. My father wants a lot of things for me, but I don't know if I actually want any of them. He's always putting pressure on me and I constantly feel like I'm letting him down. Like I'm not good enough."

"What kind of pressure?" Kiba pried.

"To take over the responsibilities of the Nekoyama Clan. To prove our abilities to the village and become Mizukage. To marry one of the suitors he's set aside, who care more about money and power than they do about me."

Kiba couldn't relate to any of this. His mother, Tsume, put pressure on him constantly, but it was more like pressure to train harder, to help with the pups, and to actually pick up his room every once in a while.

"I'm guessing he wouldn't exactly be thrilled to know you've been spending your time pestering a member of the Inuzuka Clan then, huh?" Kiba said, tossing another rock. It didn't skip.

"He wouldn't be happy with anything I've done these past two days. He would call me an embarrassment." Nanami sighed. "He's a hard man to earn praise from." She skipped another rock.

"And your mother?" Kiba asked.

Nanami's rock plopped into the water without skipping and he looked over at her. "What about your family?" Nanami asked without answering his question.

"Well..." Kiba leaned back and thought about what he could say. "My mom's a hard-ass, but more so in the sense that she has an intense personality and a lot of heart, which means she can be really scary. My dad ran off when I was little – well, more like my mother scared him off. But... I don't really blame her for that. He's the one who chose to leave us." Kiba thought for a moment and laughed. "Honestly, I think she'd be happy if I just got off my ass every once in a while, and if I had a little more ambition. I was always getting in trouble growing up for skipping class and causing disruptions while in the Academy."

Nanami smiled fondly. "She sounds a little like my mother. She wasn't necessarily scary, although she could be, she was intense. When she loved, she loved hard. And she loved my brother and I the most."

She brought a hand up and lightly touched her sapphire hair clip.

"You have a brother?"

"Had. He died before I was born. My mother died several years after."

Kiba was surprised to hear her share that much. For a moment, he thought about pushing his luck to ask her how it happened but then decided against it.

"I'm sorry," he said, it sounding stupid in his own ears.

"I'm sorry about your dad leaving," she said in return.

"Eh, it's fine. You know what they say: weak men can't handle strong women." Kiba stood up. "C'mon, we can walk around some more. No need to waste your bet sitting on a dock all day, because there's no way I'm ever going to let you beat me again."

Kiba tossed another rock as Nanami stood and this time it skipped twice over the water before sinking, although Kiba sensed that the girl beside him had something to do with it.

* * *

They wandered around for a while in silence as Nanami pondered why she had bothered to share so much about her family with Kiba. She hadn't planned on talking about it at all, but she found confiding in him easy for some reason. She almost shared more than was necessary after he took his hand in hers, staring at her so intensely. Really, she didn't want to talk about it, but she smiled when he had told her that she could. That was a comfort she'd never really had in life.

Nanami's eyes caught sight of the makeshift animal hospital and shelter. It was a small building, but everyone was having to make due until the village was cleaned up and proper buildings could be put in place.

"Hey, let's go there," Nanami said, stopping in her tracks and pointing out the building.

Kiba noticed where she was pointing and grew nervous. "Why do we need to go in there?"

"Where else are we going to go? You said yourself that there isn't much to do around the village right now."

"We can find something else to do," Kiba said, trying to stall.

Nanami placed her hands on her hips, "Like what?"

"Well..."

"Look," she said, holding up her hand to cut him off. "The bet was that you spent the day doing whatever _I_ want to do and whatever _I_ say. And what _I_ want is to check out the animal hospital and shelter. Besides, I need to know where I'll be taking Aozora if she gets injured."

Kiba visibly pouted but couldn't ignore that logic. With each step towards the building, his gut twisted. There was zero chance of avoiding his sister, Hana. It wasn't really a matter of if they would run into her but when. He knew Hana would have questions considering he had blown her off that morning and Kiba wasn't sure that he had answers. Kiba wondered whether or not he should warn Nanami about her.

The moment Nanami stepped through the door, she found her way towards where the kittens were being held. Kiba followed her silently, still thinking about how to handle the situation. Nanami picked up a large tabby cat that looked as if could eat the other cats it shared its space with. Maybe it already had.

The cat purred in her arms as Nanami held it against her chest, scratching the top of its head.

"Aren't you the cutest," she purred back to the cat.

Kiba had to admit, she looked pretty cute snuggled up to the large feline. Nanami seemed much different now, face lit up, then she had before out on the dock where her eyes were glazed over with sadness from the past. As Kiba was thinking about this, suddenly the large cat was in front of his face.

"Hold him," Nanami demanded.

"Uh... I'm more of a dog person, " Kiba said, leaning back as if the large cat would claw off his face at any moment.

"Really. You don't say," Nanami deadpanned. She pushed the cat farther towards his face and smiled mischievously. The large cat eyed Kiba warily and made a low noise of annoyance from the back of its throat.

"C'mon, hold him," Nanami continued. "You have to do whatever I say."

Kiba let out a heavy sigh and took the cat from her. He held the large feline away from his body, still unsure whether or not it would attack.

"You act like you've never held an animal before," Nanami said.

"Well, I don't hold cats!" Kiba snapped at her, clearly uncomfortable. "They're too temperamental. I don't know what this thing wants."

"That _thing_ is a he. You'd hold him just like you'd hold a dog."

Slowly, Kiba brought the cat closer to his chest and held the feline in his arms.

"Go on, pet him," Nanami insisted.

Kiba groaned but stroked the cat under his chin with his index finger. The cat was still clearly distressed, but as Kiba continued to scratch, the cat let out a heavy purr. It felt a little weird to feel the male cat vibrating in his arms, but Kiba also found the sensation strangely comforting.

"Cute, right?" Nanami said as she stepped closer to Kiba to give the tabby cat a scratch behind the ears.

"Kiba?"

 _Shit._

Kiba's head snapped over and he saw his sister, her mouth hanging open and clipboard dangling from her hand.

"Are you... are you holding a cat?" Hana continued and rubbed her eyes, as if she may be hallucinating.

Kiba panicked and glanced around, wondering where he could dump the creature and almost dropped him on the floor. Sensing Kiba's discomfort, Nanami took the cat from his arms. Kiba stood there, looking at his sister, trying to come up with an excuse, but coming up short.

Nanami sat the cat in his crate and walked back towards Kiba. Hana looked over at Nanami quizzically and then took in the markings on her cheeks, signifying Nanami as a member of the Nekoyama clan.

"So, you're the cat ninja who kicked my brother's ass yesterday," Hana said, smiling. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Damn, straight," Nanami said, standing tall. "I'm Nanami Nekoyama. I'm guessing you work here?"

Hana nodded. "I'm the head of the veterinary clinic, although I often help out with the shelter for adoptions. I'm Hana Inuzuka, Kiba's older sister." She nudged her brother lightly in the side. "You didn't tell me you were hanging out with a girl today."

Kiba felt himself blush and glared at his older sister. "It's not like that."

"Right," Hana said like she didn't believe him. She looked around them for a moment. "Your cat isn't with you? I'd love to meet her."

"Ah, no," Nanami admitted. "I kind of gave her the day off. I just wanted to stop by and check the place out."

"Well bring her by some time and I can give her a health checkup, okay?" Hana said pleasantly.

"I'll do that!" Nanami said. "Uhm, I'm going to look around for a moment, if that's okay."

"Oh sure, stay as long as you like." Hana said, then added as Nanami began to walk away, "And feel free to come by our house sometime as well. I'm sure our mother would _love_ to meet you!"

Hana chuckled to herself and Kiba shot her a look. "What?" She said innocently.

"Stop," he warned.

"Oh, come on," Hana shoved him playfully. "I get the appeal. She's cute."

"It's not like that!" Kiba insisted.

Hana rolled her eyes, "Right. You just chose to spend the day with her because you can't stand her."

"It was part of our bet!"

"Kiba," she said, looking at him seriously. "You were holding a cat."

"SHE MADE ME. IT'S PART OF THE BET!"

"Alright, alright," she said, waving it off. "Don't have a heart attack. I'm only teasing. It is pretty nice of you to show her around, though. It must be difficult, being in a new place, separated from your family, and surrounded by strangers."

Kiba looked over at Nanami who was eyeing shelves of catnip and toys, but he didn't say anything.

"You know," Hana continued, gently, "if you ever did want to bring her over to the house, I could talk to mom beforehand."

"No, thanks." Kiba shoved his hands into his pockets. "She can't really stand me. The feeling's mutual."

"Right, because I know I like to make bets to spend time with people I can't stand being around."

* * *

Kiba followed Nanami from the clinic, who was carrying a large baggie full of catnip.

"Aozora's probably a little upset with me for ditching her today, but this should cheer her up."

"Just make sure she doesn't get super high before a mission." Kiba laughed.

"Right?" Nanami said, laughing with him. "I'd call for her help and she would fall asleep or roll around on the grass."

They walked in silence again before Nanami continued. "You didn't tell me you had a sister. Why didn't you mention it when we were heading inside?"

"Because she's embarrassing." Kiba turned his face away. "I knew she'd make fun of me for losing to you in a bet."

Nanami laughed again. "Well, I like her."

"Everybody does." Kiba sighed. "Anything you're wanting to do?"

"Hm," Nanami tapped her chin. "Yeah, show me where the market is. I don't have any food at my apartment and I can't keep eating out all the time."

Kiba led her towards the market. "You cook?" He asked.

"Uh, well, a little. Not really. But I can fend for myself." She paused, then added, "I can make you something tonight if you want. I am making you spend the day with me, after all."

 _"Right, because I know I like to make bets to spend time with people I can't stand being around."_ Kiba heard his sister's voice say in his head.

Kiba felt his face grow hot. "I don't know, I'm not sure if I trust that you won't poison me."

Nanami huffed. "Fine, you can cook _me_ something then, baka. I don't even know why I offered considering today's my day."

"That's probably the smartest move you made all day," Kiba said, smirking. "I've gotten pretty good at cooking since I prepare all the food homemade for the pups."

"I'm not one of your dogs," Nanami hissed. "You can't just mix up some slop and call it a meal."

"You're going to eat those words!" Kiba barked at her. "It'll be the best meal you've had in your whole life and you'll have to admit it."

Nanami turned her nose up. "I won the bet, I don't have to do anything that I don't want."

 _Just like a cat,_ Kiba thought.

"So, what're you gonna make?" Nanami asked as they got to the market.

"That'll be a surprise. You go pick out whatever you want and I'll grab the ingredients for tonight."

Nanami nodded and they went their separate ways.

As Kiba shopped around, he found that he strangely missed Nanami's company. A few times, he went to remark something to her, forgetting that she wasn't by his side as he had grown accustomed to throughout the day.

When Kiba finished up his shopping, his eye caught the flower shop. Before he even really thought about it, he was approaching Yamanaka flowers. When he walked in, Ino looked up from whatever she was reading and greeted him.

"Oh, hey Kiba!" She waved.

"Hey, Ino." He replied. Kiba looked around for a moment, taking in the shop. "It's cool you guys got this place back up and running again. It looks good."

"It's not much right now, but thanks. It'll do until we can work on it some more." Ino thought for a moment, then continued. "So, what are you doing here? I don't think I've ever seen you in here, even when this place was fully functional before the attack."

"Uh, well..."

"Is there a certain _girl_ you're getting flowers for?" Ino wiggled her eyebrows. "Maybe for Nanami to make up for our rude you were to her yesterday?"

Kiba scoffed. "Please. I'm getting them for my mom."

"Uh-huh. D you need help picking anything out?"

"No, thanks." Kiba knew exactly what he was getting.

* * *

Kiba and Nanami walked back into her bleak apartment carrying bags of groceries and other itmes. While Nanami put the food she bought away, Kiba began preparing the meal, refusing to let her help, pay attention to what he was making, or touch the bags of what he bought. Finally, after Nanami continually tried peaking over his shoulder, Kiba kicked her out of the kitchen.

"Jeez," Nanami said, heading to her bedroom to check on Aozora. "I thought I was supposed to get what I wanted today."

Nanami poked her head into the bedroom and saw Aozora sprawled on the floor, basking in the fading sunlight shining through the window. "I'm home!" She said Aozora in a sing-song voice, although Nanami knew that the cat had heard her and Kiba when they first came in. Aozora stood up, let out a long stretch and yawn, then followed Nanami to the living room.

Nanami pulled out a game of Shogi and sat in front of the coffee table as Kiba brought their plates into the living room. A wonderful scent wafted towards her and she took in the sight of beef and vegetables. She had to admit, it looked delicious.

Kiba walked back into the kitchen and then brought out a small bowl of food and set in on the floor for Aozora.

"That was sweet," Nanami heard herself saying before she even realized she was saying it.

"It's nothing."

Aozora sniffed the food and then eyed Kiba as if she was expecting him to take it away as a prank.

Nanami picked up her chopsticks. "She'll eat if you don't watch her."

Kiba rolled his eyes and picked up his chopsticks. He waited for Nanami to take her first bite.

"What?" Nanami said, the food inches away from her mouth.

"Nothing," Kiba said. "Just waiting for you to eat." He paused, then added. "YOUR WORDS."

Nanami rolled her eyes. "Baka," she muttered, then took her first bite. She stopped, then slowly continued chewing and swallowed.

"Well?" He said.

Nanami looked at him very seriously. "It's good."

"I told you," Kiba said, smugly. "And you doubted me."

"Can you blame me?"

"ABSOLUTELY!" He yelled at her. "I TOLD YOU I'D MAKE YOU EAT YOUR WORDS."

"Tch, just eat your food so I can kick your ass in Shogi."

Kiba's face paled. He sucked at Shogi.

After they finished their meal, they played a couple of games of that didn't last long. It wasn't much of a competition and although Nanami laughed relentlessly at him, she still tried to give him pointers on the game.

Strategy wasn't really Kiba's forte.

"You should play against Shikamaru," Kiba remarked, then realized he didn't really want her spending time with anyone else. He continued anyway."He's better at this than me."

"Nah," Nanami said, and Kiba's felt a strange sense of relief. "You're an easy target. It's fun getting you flustered."

After they put up the game of Shogi, Nanami turned on the television. They watched in silence for a moment, but Kiba's neck began to hurt from having to keep his head turned. He knew it made sense to sit next to Nanami, but his stomach felt weird every time he thought about it. Finally, he got up and moved to sit next to her.

"You can leave if you're bored," she said to him.

"Sick of me already?" He huffed at her. "You're the one who asked for this."

Kiba looked over and noticed Aozora eyeing him as if he might try something with her owner. He looked back to the TV and tried to ignore her until Aozora finally settled back down for a nap.

About that time, Kiba felt a soft pressure on his shoulder. He looked over and noticed Nanami had fallen asleep next to him. Her breath came out soft and hot against his shoulder and Kiba watched, wondering why he felt such a strange sense of calm. Without giving it much thought, he picked her up and lay her down on the couch. He reached for a blanket that was draped over the top of the sofa and pulled it around her. Momentarily, Kiba thought about taking out her sapphire hair clip so it wouldn't get broken in the night, but he was afraid doing so would be crossing a boundary.

Kiba turned around jumped when he saw Aozora standing behind him, staring. He glared at her. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just being nice. I may not like her, but it doesn't mean I'm gonna let her sleep on the floor."

Aozora hopped onto the couch and nestled herself next to her owner, protectively.

* * *

Nanami woke up that morning on her sofa, her brain a little fuzzy as to how she had gotten there.

"What the?" She rubbed at her eyes and pushed back the blanket.

 _When did I fall asleep on the couch?_ Nanami wondered, then remembered that she and Kiba and been watching TV before she had fallen asleep. _I can't believe he actually put me to bed._ Nanami smiled fondly, thinking about the way he got flustered over not being able to skip rocks, the way he held the tabby cat like a ticking time bomb, and his face looking expectantly at her while he waited for her to try the meal he'd made for her. She shook her head. _No one has cooked for me like that since mother died._

Nanami looked next to her and noticed that not only had their plates been put up from the night before, but a fresh vase of lilies was sitting on her coffee table.


	8. Chapter 7

**Important author note, please read:** If you read chapter six before it was edited and I published this chapter, please note that I made a few minor changes. In the edits, I changed that Nanami's brother was killed before she was born instead of after and that her mother died several years after the death of Nanami's brother instead of months after. It will come up in this story and I wanted to address it in case there's any confusion. It was a necessary change so I could keep the timeline of events in the world of Naruto in order. Thanks.

Also, if you have an critiques, suggestions, or any edits you feel need to be made, please let me know in the comments! If you're enjoying this story, I'd also appreciate if you could let me know. I'd love some feedback :)

* * *

 _ **"You lay there staring at the stars, while I can't help but stare at you."**_

 **Chapter Seven**

Kiba hadn't seen Nanami in a week and he was surprised by how often he thought of her. While helping with supply inventory for the upcoming war, he'd wonder what she was doing at that moment and whether or not she was thinking about him too. When he went to the training grounds, doing all he could to surpass Naruto, he'd secretly hope that she would show up. There were several instances where Kiba passed by her apartment, almost heading over to knock on her door, but stopping himself every time.

Most of all, Kiba lay awake all week obsessing over what she thought of the lilies he had left. It was a stupid thing to do and several times that night after he left her apartment, Kiba considered returning to take them back. But that was impossible to do with Aozora around. Kiba had convinced himself the only reason he bought them in the first place was that the other's Nanami had on her coffee table were wilting.

He couldn't pinpoint why he was acting this way. Kiba didn't know why he often found himself thinking of excuses to see her or why he caught himself looking for her when he walked around the village. She was always pissing him off, after all. He hated the way she looked down on him as if she were superior, how bossy she was, and that she was constantly finding ways to get a rise out of him. But he also liked the way she pushed her silver hair back, the few times she had smiled at him, and the way her head felt nestled on his shoulder when she had fallen asleep.

Kiba shook the thought from his head and left for the training grounds. War was approaching and he had to make sure he was ready.

* * *

Nanami kept the vase of lilies on her bedside table next to the window. Each morning she woke up that week, she'd stare at them and think about the day she had spent with Kiba. Several times, she considered seeking out his home, but she could never find an excuse to see him. Even if she did, there was the guarantee of running into Hana or, even worse, Kiba's mother who she hadn't yet met. Nanami figured, after hearing Kiba talk about his mom, showing up unannounced while he wasn't home wouldn't result in a pleasant exchange.

Nanami wondered why Kiba had left her the lilies in the first place. He had obviously bought them while they were separated, getting groceries. Nanami wanted to thank him for the flowers, but she assumed it would embarrass him, considering he'd waited until he left and when she wouldn't notice.

 _He probably only did it for the bet,_ Nanami thought. But it wasn't anything she had asked of him. It had been a week since that day he came to see her and Nanami knew she was reading too much into it. After all, he didn't really like her and the feeling was mutual. They weren't friends. A friend was something Nanami never had the pleasure of having. Besides, Kiba was always getting under her skin, he constantly found ways to annoy her, and he made a habit out of being insulting. But she also liked the way he got worked up over the smallest things, how his face heated every time he was frustrated and the way he tried to comfort her when they were out on the dock.

Nanami shook her head and pushed back the covers. War was approaching and she had to make sure she did everything in her power to ensure a strong alliance between her village and the Hidden Leaf.

* * *

While Kiba was at the training grounds, a bird flew overhead, summoning him to the Hokage's office. He wiped the sweat from his face and sighed.

"C'mon, Akamaru." The dog barked and trailed after his owner.

When Kiba walked through the door of Lady Tsunade's office, he noticed his teammates Hinata and Shino waiting patiently for him. He wondered for only second why he was disappointed no one else was there. At that moment, Kiba felt something bump him from behind.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT ALWAYS RUNNING INTO ME, NARUTO?!" Kiba yelled, whirling around.

Silver eyes met Kiba's and they narrowed at him. "Well then don't stand in the doorway, baka!"

Kiba was at a loss for words, but a sharp voice broke him out of his trance.

"Kiba!" The Hokage yelled at him. "Naruto isn't even in the village right now. He's heading to the Land of Lightening for his own special assignment." She jabbed her finger down on the desk and left a dent in the wood. "Get your asses in here right now so I can give you this mission!"

Kiba and Nanami scurried to join Hinata and Shino without further complaint.

"You have a mission for us, Milady?" Hinata asked softly.

"Ah." Lady Tsunade nodded. "I mentioned to you when Nanami first came here that there was a village within the Land of Water possibly planning an attack on the Hidden Leaf while we're busy rebuilding. I've just gotten word from the Mizukage that the rumors have been confirmed and a band of ninja that oppose the alliance has already left to gather intelligence. They may already be near the village. However, these aren't 'small village' ninja. They're shinobi from the Hidden Mist."

Nanami was surprised by this but, at the same time, utterly unsurprised.

"As my best tracking team," the Hokage continued, "I need team eight along with Nanami to travel around the perimeter of the village and track any suspicious ninja. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary. We don't know the strength of these ninjas and we can't afford to lose any more manpower. If you come across them, I want Shino to plant a bug on one of them." Her face darkened. "This isn't only for the safety of the Hidden Leaf. These ninjas could be trying to gather war secrets, as well as planning an attack on us so they can tear apart the alliance. Failure is not an option!"

The group nodded and after receiving a few more details, the Hokage dismissed them from her office. They each went their separate ways, agreeing to meet up in an hour at the gate.

 _She didn't mention the flowers,_ Kiba thought. He tried to remind himself that they were summoned for a mission and that Hinata and Shino were near.

"Tch, I don't care," Kiba mumbled under his breath as he and Akamaru left towards their home to pack.

* * *

The first day traveling around the village, their group of four found nothing out of the ordinary. When the sun set, they set up camp then spread out their pallets and decided on sleeping shifts. Barely any words were exchanged throughout the day between Nanami and Kiba and she had a suspicion that he was mad at her for some reason. After all, he'd only called her baka once during their mission and it was because Aozora nipped at Akamaru's tail when the hound got too close to her feline companion.

Nanami and Aozora sat away from the group near a tree for their first watch as the others stretched out on their pallets to sleep. Nanami didn't mind taking the first watch. She'd always enjoyed the night and, thanks to her cat-like senses, Nanami was able to see easily, even in pitch black darkness.

Kiba listened to the sound of his teammates breathing, sure they were asleep, but all he could do was toss and turn, completely restless. After a few more minutes, he gave up and rose from his pallet to sit next to Nanami. Akamaru lifted his head and slowly padded over with Kiba and took the spot next to him to rest.

"Can't sleep?" Nanami asked light-heartedly.

"No," Kiba admitted. "I haven't been sleeping well lately. I figured I may as well stay up. Thought maybe you could use the help."

Nanami scoffed. "I guarantee my night sight is ten times better than your sense of smell."

"Tch, whatever you have to tell yourself, baka."

Kiba was surprised to see her smile a little at that.

"So," he continued, "you weren't really talking all that much today."

"I didn't have much to say."

"I haven't known you that long, but you _always_ have something to say."

"I guess... I just feel like a bit of an outsider," Nanami admitted. "You guys seem so close."

"Hmm." Kiba thought about this. "Well, we have been on the same team for several years now. And we went to the Academy together. I guess we do know each other pretty well."

"That's nice. I wish I had teammates like that back at home." Nanami frowned. She had to admit that she was a little jealous of Kiba's friendship with the other ninjas in the village.

"You don't have any close comrades?" Kiba asked.

"Not really. I..." she sighed. "I don't think people in my village like me very much. I've avoided most of my peers throughout my life because my father has always told me that I'm above it all. That I'm better than they are and I shouldn't waste my time with frivolous things like friendship. It's always just been me and Aozora. When people say the word 'friend' to me, no one back home comes to mind. But I think I'd much rather be accepted by other people than to believe I'm better than them."

Kiba looked down. He couldn't fathom such a lonely existence. Growing up, he'd always had friends. Sure, Akamaru was his best friend, but he still had other people in his life. His mind immediately shifted to Naruto and Sasuke who also grew up lonely. He'd always thought of Naruto as a pest, Kiba still did, but now Naruto had friends there for him. Hell, even Sasuke had friends even if he didn't realize it.

"The truth is," Nanami continued, "I'd always felt like a bit of an outsider until I met you."

Kiba looked back up at her, shocked. He wasn't sure he had even heard her right. Nanami looked startled, like she couldn't believe the words that had come out of her mouth, and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she laughed and rubbed the back of her neck. "That was weird. You barely know me."

Kiba blinked at her, not sure what to say. He felt Akamaru nudge him with his nose as if to tell him to reply already _._

"U-uhh," Kiba stammered. "No, that's okay. I think I know what you mean." He smirked at her. "You annoy the shit out of me, but... sometimes it feels pretty natural being around you. And it was kind of fun hanging out that day."

"Yeah, it was..." Nanami leaned back and looked at the stars. "Thanks for the flowers."

Kiba shrugged. "Well, I had to do something to liven up that musty apartment of yours. That wilting vase you had looked so pitiful."

"Pardon me for not decorating. It's not like I'm going to be there forever, baka." She practically spat the words at him.

Kiba grew silent. He hadn't been thinking about her not staying and quickly changed the conversation.

"Do you think the threats are credible? About these Hidden Mist shinobi opposing the alliance and planning an attack on the Hidden Leaf?"

"Most likely," Nanami said. "They wouldn't have sent me here otherwise. Many things have changed in the Land of Water over the past few years, but there still remains some animosity between the islands. Drug lords and gangs are still common. Old tactics that should've been long forgotten still linger thanks to stubbornness, even despite the Mizukage's best efforts to handle things differently. My father thinks she's too soft and marriage-hungry to get the job done."

"What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Nanami asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Kiba pressed. "What do you think? Not your father. What do _you_ think?"

"Well..." Nanami began, thinking it over. "I like her. I mean, she is a little scary and obsessed with marriage, but she's doing all she can to ensure peace. She took over a tainted land after the reign of the Fourth Mizukage, which was the darkest in the history of the Hidden Mist. She's doing pretty well, considering. Not many trust the Hidden Mist, especially since we haven't had any real diplomatic ties with anyone until now. And the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist has been around since the First Mizukage, although the members change over the generations." Nanami's face darkened. "While strong, most of them don't use that power for the sake of the village. Those who do, do so with misguided actions."

Kiba thought it over and then took a chance, "Zabuza was a member, wasn't he?"

"Ah. We've been known as the Village of the Bloody Mist for a long time now, because of the process to graduate from the Academy in the past. Back then, every shinobi had to kill a classmate in one-on-one combat in order to graduate..." Nanami paused and clenched her fist. "My parents always knew there was a chance my brother would die instead of graduating. I just didn't know he wouldn't be given any chance at all."

Kiba recounted the terrible story in his head that Naruto had relayed to him. That Zabuza Momochi had gruesomely killed over a hundred students at the age of nine and became known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist. Only after that event, was the graduation process changed.

"Your brother was in the class that Zabuza slaughtered," Kiba clarified.

Nanami nodded. Her head hung over her lap, face covered by silver locks. "That single event destroyed my mother. She was consumed by hatred, unable to ever let it go. And because of that, she died."

Kiba wasn't sure what to say to this. His father had left his family, but he'd never lost a close family member in such a horrible way. He supposed he may lose people during the war, but he'd yet to experience that kind of pain and he didn't like thinking about it. Kiba hoped he never had to know how losing someone felt and didn't even know how to begin to comfort Nanami – or if she even wanted his comfort. He heard a faint noise and looked over at her, watching as Nanami's shoulders shuddered.

 _She's crying,_ Kiba realized, pissed at himself that he made her recount such painful memories.

After inching towards her, Kiba tentatively, and awkwardly, put an arm around her shoulders before he could talk himself out of it. Nanami continued to sniffle, but he felt her shoulders relax underneath him. After a few moments of silence, Nanami looked up at the stars and her silver hair moved back to reveal her tear stroked face. She dried her cheeks and smiled at the sky. Kiba watched her carefully, amazed at how beautiful she still looked despite her sadness.

"When I was little, my mother would lay on the ground with me at night and stare at the stars. It was usually too misty for most people to see the stars in our village, but since our clan is so adapt at seeing at night, we were able to see the stars well enough - so long as it wasn't too misty out. She would teach me the constellations."

"Can you show me?" Kiba asked.

Nanami and Kiba stayed up through the entirety of her and most of his sleeping shift with his arm still wrapped around her shoulders as she tried to point out the constellations to him. Kiba had trouble finding most of them, but she stayed patient although she often made fun of him when he struggled. Several times, Kiba thought about removing his arm, but Nanami never seemed to mind it and after a while, having his arm there felt natural. It reminded him of when she had fallen asleep on his shoulder and Kiba realized he found as much comfort in the gesture as he had intended for her.

When Nanami yawned, he insisted she go to bed and Kiba finished out his shift in silence with Akamaru. Kiba was surprised to see that Aozora had stayed next to him and Akamaru instead of following Nanami towards her sleeping pallet. When Kiba's shift was over, he gently picked up Aozora and scratched underneath her chin as he had with the male tabby cat at the shelter. The small white cat seemed uncertain and hesitant when he touched her, but she quickly melted beneath his scratches into a soft purr.

Kiba gently sat Aozora next to Nanami and woke Shino for his shift. When Shino's back was turned and Kiba was sure Shino wasn't paying him any attention, Kiba scooted his sleeping pallet a little closer to Nanami's and curled up beside her. Akamaru snorted softly and Kiba shot him a look. The hound took up his position by Kiba's head to act as his owner's pillow without saying more about the matter.

* * *

Nanami woke sometime in the night to a tugging sensation on her waist. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Kiba's peacefully sleeping face in front of hers. In his slumber, Kiba had wrapped his arm firmly around her waist and pulled her close to him. Nanami laughed quietly to herself.

 _Just like a dog,_ she thought. _Always so cuddly and needing constant attention._

Nanami moved closer and leaned against Akamaru for head support. She pressed her forehead against Kiba's and drifted back to sleep, listening to the sound of Kiba's breathing. Nanami could have sworn she felt the large dog shake with soft laughter beneath her, but she chose to ignore it.

* * *

The next morning, the scent of lilies and ocean water washed over Kiba's senses. In his hazy, dreamy state, he thought how peaceful the sensation was and that he wanted to wake up to that scent every morning. As Kiba's eyes fluttered open, he noticed silver locks splayed around him. Slowly, Kiba came out of his dream-like state and felt the warmth of his forehead pressed against Nanami's. His fingers twitched against her waist and Kiba noticed his arm was wrapped around her. Realization hit Kiba, knowing that he must have put his arm there and pulled her close to him in the middle of the night. Kiba often did the same with his blankets and pillows when he slept in his bed back home.

Kiba's face heated, but for a few moments he allowed himself to lay like that with Nanami, their foreheads pressed together and faces close. Nanami didn't look nearly as annoying while she slept. The trance didn't last and Kiba began to wake up enough to fully realize what was going on and what the repercussions might be if Nanami woke up to catch him holding her. Slowly, Kiba lifted his arm from Nanami's waist, careful not to wake her, and sat up.

After wiping the sleep from his eyes, Kiba looked over and saw Shino still sleeping. Kiba figured he must have woken up early before they needed to set out for the day. He turned his head and caught Hinata silently watching him. She gave a small knowing smile, then the shy girl turned her gaze away from Kiba. At least he knew she'd never say anything about it.

* * *

Today was the last day of their mission and the group decided to split up to cover more ground for their search. Hinata left with Shino while Nanami and Kiba head in the opposite direction, fanning out the perimeter. For about an hour, the two searched the village in silence, yesterday's events still lingering in the air.

Nanami was frustrated with herself and she couldn't figure out why she was always letting her guard slip whenever Kiba was around. Telling him about her mom and brother was more information than she'd shared with anyone. Actually, now that it was on Nanami's mind, she couldn't remember if she'd ever confided in a member of her own clan. Most knew the circumstances surrounding their death, but it was never discussed.

Her face flushed, remembering the words that had tumbled from her mouth. _The truth is, I'd always felt like a bit of an outsider until I met you._

Nanami couldn't understand what made her say those words aloud, but the more she contemplated it, the more she realized the sentiment was true. Kiba was the closest thing she'd ever had to a friend, but she wasn't sure if he felt the same way. She suspected he felt sorry for her. The more Nanami thought about this, the angrier she became because she wasn't the type to be pitied.

 _Screw his friendship, that baka._ But even as Nanami thought this to herself, she imagined the heat of Kiba's forehead pressed against hers. She felt his arm around her shoulders that had remained far after she'd stopped crying as she pointed out constellations in the crystal-clear sky. And then she felt his arm tugging at her waist as they slept, pulling her closer.

Suddenly Kiba stopped and she ran into his back, nearly knocking him over.

"What is it with you always being in the wa-?!" She yelled at him, but he quickly put his hand over her mouth.

"Shhhh..." His face grew serious and he slowly moved his hand away from her mouth and sniffed the air. "You smell that buddy?" Kiba said, directed to Akamaru.

Nanami had a better sense of smell than most people, but it wasn't nearly as keen as Kiba's. "What is it?" She asked him, unable to detect anything.

"It's unfamiliar. It may be the ninjas we're looking for. C'mon," he said, nodding them toward the eastern direction.

As they continued on the ground, Nanami was able to pick up on the scent and she and Kiba stopped, realizing a group of about three to four ninjas was heading straight towards them. Nanami scanned the area and quickly grabbed Kiba's hand, dragging him into the close confines of a crack on the side of a large rock. Akamaru and Aozora ducked into a bush, keeping low to the ground. Aozora transformed back into her small state to become more inconspicuous while Kiba and Nanami suppressed their chakra as the group approached.

The hiding space was tight and Nanami could feel Kiba's heart beat as her body pressed against his. She found it deafening and distracting as his heart beat quickened, but there was no time to give it any more thought. Soon, the group of ninjas was stopping near their location and Nanami was able to detect about four individuals.

"Damn," one of them, an older man, possibly Jonin with long black hair and piercings in his lip announced. "I could have sworn I sensed other ninjas in the area."

"You're getting old, Sou," another ninja said, this one with a feminine voice, but not within eyesight. "I don't think there are any other ninjas in the area. It seems like the Hidden Leaf is too vulnerable right now to be able to afford to let go of any more manpower. From what we've been able to see, they haven't been sending many ninjas out on missions and those guarding the perimeter are scarce. However, they did send that Uzumaki child out of the village."

"Airi is right," a different male voice said. "I say we report back to Ganryu and see what he wants us to do from here. The next stage may be an attack and for that, we'll need to be prepared and possibly bring reinforcements."

The group of Hidden Mist ninjas agreed with one another and took off from the direction they came. Nanami turned her head to tell Kiba that they needed to follow the shinobi and at the same moment, he turned his head towards hers. Their noses touched and their lips lightly brushed together. Nanami jerked back, causing her head to bang against the rock wall behind her.

" _Kuso,_ " she hissed through gritted teeth as the pain rang through her skull.

"Are you okay?" Kiba whispered urgently to her.

Nanami squeezed out of the small space and clutched her head. "Yeah, there's no time. We need to follow them, quickly."

Kiba nodded. "Akamaru," he said in the direction of the bush and the hound and feline jumped out. "I need you to go get Shino and Hinata. We'll follow these ninjas. Follow our scent to lead them back so Shino can plant his tracker bug."

"You too, Aozora," Nanami said. "It'll be faster if they're able to ride both of you on the way back."

Akamaru barked, Aozora transformed back into a saber-toothed cat, and they left for their respective mission.

"C'mon," Kiba said. "They're not too far ahead of us and we're a decent distance away. As long as we keep our chakra suppressed, they shouldn't sense our presence."

With that, Kiba and Nanami hopped into the trees to follow the Hidden Mist ninjas.


	9. Chapter 8

_**"Sometimes home can be another person."**_

 **Chapter Eight**

Their mission went off without a hitch, as Akamaru and Aozora were able to bring Hinata and Shino back in no time at all. After Shino's bugs were safely planted onto all four individuals, they immediately left for Konohagakure to report to the Hokage.

"I see," Lady Tsunade said, fingers intertwined and chin resting on her hands. "So, it seems this so-called 'Ganryu' is in charge of this whole operation. Nanami, does that name ring a bell to you?"

"Ah," Nanami said, nodding. "He's a Jonin who has a strong grudge against the Hidden Stone Village after his teammates were killed when they were betrayed by stone ninja. I wouldn't be surprised if he was against the alliance for that very reason."

"Hm," the Hokage closed her eyes and thought this over for a moment before speaking again. "Shino, what are their movements like right now?"

"They seem to be heading away from the village," Shino said calmly. "Probably to gather more intelligence from other villages and to report back to Ganryu. It seems like they're not going to make any moves without their leader's go-ahead. From what we gathered, they know little. What they do know is that we're trying to keep ninja close to home for war preparations and that Naruto is somewhere away from the village."

"Good work." Lady Tsunade nodded. "I'll report this to the Mizukage and see what else she can tell me about this Ganryu character. Maybe Ganryu can be taken care of by the Land of Water and all this will be handled. As of right now, I want you to stay in tune with their movements, Shino. Report to me right away if they head back towards the village. Every one of you will be on standby. Be prepared to depart at a moment's notice."

"Hai," they all said, understanding.

"Dismissed."

After exiting the building, Hinata and Shino politely bid their goodbyes and left in opposite directions to train or go home. Kiba and Nanami stood awkwardly for a moment, each wondering what to do or say to the other.

"Um," Nanami started and rubbed her arm. Kiba looked at her and she silently cursed herself for being the first to make a noise, because now Kiba was waiting and she had no idea what to say. Although they'd been trying to ignore it, things between them had become uncomfortable ever since their incident when they were hiding in the large stone.

 _Say something, anything,_ Nanami thought to herself. But before she could open her mouth again, Kiba shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled at her.

"C'mon, baka, follow me." Kiba walked off, not checking to see if she was behind him. After a brief hesitation, Nanami scurried to catch up with him.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_ Nanami thought. _Why can't I keep it together?_

They journeyed for a bit in silence before heading into a patch of woods. "Where are we going?" Nanami finally asked.

Kiba remained silent and Nanami quickly became irritated. "Hey baka!" She yelled. "I'm talking to you!"

Then Kiba suddenly stopped and she looked up to see a small house.

"Is this your...?"

"Ah," he said. "This is my home. We were lucky enough that it wasn't destroyed during Pain's attack."

Nanami was at a loss for words, wondering why he had even brought her here. Before she could think about it anymore, Kiba walked inside and she followed after him.

"It's not much," Kiba said. "But it's homier than that musty apartment of yours."

Nanami's gut twisted. "Is, uh, is your mom home?"

Kiba chuckled. "No, she's not here, so you can calm down." He came to a door and held it open for her. "This is my room."

Nanami hesitantly walked in, but Aozora sprang through the door, jumped on Kiba's bed and curled into it. Akamaru huffed and then claimed the spot on the floor next to the bed. Kiba's eye twitched.

"Damn cat can take over any space for herself, can't she?" He said.

But Nanami didn't reply. Kiba watched her, curious as to why he was growing more frantic by the second. There wasn't much to his room, but his personality was still mixed into it. There was his bed, dresser, a paw-print poster on the wall, and his bedside table with two picture frames, one of his family and then one of Akamaru as a puppy. Kiba glanced at the floor and quickly kicked a pile of dirty clothes under his bed.

He continued to watch her and Kiba's face grew hot when he saw Nanami gently sit down on his bed.

"I'll, uh, I'll make us some tea. Are you hungry?"

When Nanami nodded, Kiba left the room to grab their food and put a kettle on the stove to heat.

Nanami smiled as her cat stretched her front legs out and kneaded at Kiba's bed. "You felt it too, huh?" Nanami said softly to the small white and black feline. "This house feels like a home."

It was a stark contrast to the desolate house she lived at back in the Land of Water as well as the apartment she'd been holed up in for over a week.

Aozora meowed softly and then yawned. A photo album on Kiba's bedside table caught Nanami's eye and she gingerly picked it up, glancing out of the bedroom's open door to make sure Kiba wasn't paying attention. Nanami flipped through a couple of pages, smiling at photos of Kiba as a small child with Akamaru, photos of his family members, and another picture of Kiba from when he was a Genin.

Nanami flipped the page again and saw another family photo, this one torn on the side. It looked as if there was someone standing next to an older woman, probably Kiba's mother. Nanami noticed something sticking out from behind the photograph and carefully slid her fingers into the protective plastic to pull out the torn part of the picture. It was the missing man from the photo who looked handsome and so much like Kiba, but with facial hair and a much softer expression than the one Kiba typically wore.

She quickly slipped the photo scrap back in its place and flipped to the next page. Nanami's breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened.

Pressed inside the photo album was a dried and flattened lily from the wilting vase in Nanami's apartment that Kiba had replaced. Nanami carefully picked up the fragile flower in her fingers, careful not to tear it.

 _I can't believe he kept this. Why would he...?_

Nanami heard Kiba walking back towards the room. She quickly put the flower back in its place, closed the photo album and set it on the bedside table.

"Food is ready if you want to come in the kitchen," Kiba said, poking his head into the room. "Aozora can stay in here if she wants."

Nanami followed Kiba into the kitchen where he had a spread of rice balls and tea sitting on the table. They sat to eat and Nanami stayed quiet, still thinking about the flower. Kiba kept his eye on her, perplexed by why she was being so silent.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked. "You're not being nearly as annoying as you usually are."

"Huh?" She looked up, confused. "Oh, uh, yeah. I was just thinking."

Kiba scoffed. "Well, what about? You don't have to always be so mysterious, ya know."

"Well... I guess I was just thinking about back home."

"Homesick?"

"No," she said quickly and a little too easily. "Home doesn't really feel like home."

"You don't miss your bedroom? Your clan? Your dad?"

"That small apartment bedroom feels homier than my bedroom back in the Hidden Mist Village does."

Kiba wasn't sure what to say, but Nanami continued anyway. "Our house hasn't felt like a home since my mother was around. She's what brought light into our lives. My father was always a hard man, but even he's not the same since she died. I think her death took the last ounce of joy he had. Our house is nothing more than the empty shell of our family."

Nanami finished the rice ball she was eating then looked around the kitchen. "I like your house," she said. "Sure, it smells like wet dog, but... I don't know how to explain it." Nanami shrugged. "The atmosphere is different. It feels like love."

Kiba chuckled softly and Nanami shot him a look. "What?" She asked, defensive.

"Nothing," Kiba said between his laughs and shook his head. "If you could see my mom stomp, yell, and throw things around this house you may feel differently." Kiba shrugged. "But I guess you're right. She has a lot of love underneath her scary exterior. She just doesn't always know how to show it."

They finished eating and Kiba nodded her towards the back of the house. "Grab Aozora and follow me."

Nanami called to her feline and the small cat slowly came out of the room, acting like it was a chore. They followed Kiba outside to the backyard and they were immediately attacked by a group of puppies. Well, it was less of an attack and more of a group of five balls of fur hurtling towards them armed with massive amounts of saliva.

Aozora hissed at the pups, climbed up Nanami's body and sat on her shoulder, eyeing the pups with displeasure. Kiba laughed and Nanami narrowed her eyes at him.

"So, your plan is to terrorize my poor cat?"

"Oh, come on," Kiba said in between laughs. "They're harmless. All they want to do is play with her. Besides, if we're working together, shouldn't she gets used to dogs? Anyway, you made me hold a cat once. I don't wanna hear it."

Nanami rolled her eyes at him, "That was one cat, baka." She looked back at the group of wagging tales and smiled. "They are pretty cute. All of them are yours?"

"Uh, yes and no," Kiba said, crouching down to pet the pups. "We often rescue dogs, nurse them to health, and find them homes. These little guys were wandering around after Pain's attack on the village. If we can't find their owners then we'll find them new ones."

Nanami crouched down with Kiba and she felt Aozora's hair stand up. Nanami put a hand out to let the pups sniff and while a few of them crowded around her hand, one small red pup immediately jumped into her arms. Nanami was knocked off her feet and fell backward to the grass. Aozora, startled, sprang to the ground from Nanami's shoulder.

"Ha! That's Aki. He's a bit of a spitfire."

The small dog stood on Nanami's chest and slobbered her cheeks with wet kisses.

"I think he likes me," Nanami giggled.

The other dogs quickly bounded over to Aozora to play with her. At first, the cat was tentative and still hissing, but eventually, she started to play with the pups. Aozora batted her paws at their faces in a playful way.

Nanami sat up and placed the red pup in her lap, tickling at his belly and letting the him nip playfully at her fingers. Kiba sat next to her cross-legged on the grass.

"How come you decided to bring me here?" Nanami asked Kiba.

Kiba shrugged. "I don't know. I guess because I've hung out at your house before." He scratched his cheek. "It seemed like the polite thing to do."

Nanami snorted. "When have you ever cared about being polite?"

"I'M SUPER POLITE!"

"Right." Nanami laughed. "Does that mean I have to show you my room now, too?"

"I'd say yes, but you're not as polite as me," Kiba said, and he felt his cheeks warm. Although he was sure her bedroom was just as bear as the rest of her apartment, for some reason the thought of being in her room made his stomach flip.

"You didn't have to do this," Nanami said softly, keeping her attention on the pup. "The only reason you came to my apartment in the first place was because of the bet we made."

"Yeah..." Kiba admitted. "But we're friends now, aren't we?"

Nanami froze, her fingers hovering over the pup in her lap. The small dog nudged her fingers for her to continue, but she ignored him to look up at Kiba.

"Y-you think of me as your friend?" She asked.

"Of course, I do, baka. Don't you think of me as one?"

Nanami watched his face, his eyes staring seriously into hers. This boy who had done nothing but pick on her, frustrate her, spend time with her, and comfort her, considered her a friend? Nanami could hardly believe that in a matter of a little over a week, she had somehow managed to make a friend. It was something she had never really done in the years since her mother died. She felt tears, happy tears, well in her eyes and she blinked them away.

"Yeah," Nanami agreed. "We're friends."

Kiba looked like he wanted to say more to her, but Nanami heard a throat clear and they both looked behind them. A scary woman stood in the doorway of the house next to a nervous looking Hana. The woman's arms were crossed and she glared down at the two of them.

"What's going on?" The woman asked.

Kiba stood up and Nanami carefully placed the pup on the ground before standing herself.

"Oh, uh, hey mom. This is Nanami. Nanami..."

"Nekoyama," Nanami finished for him. Aozora climbed up onto Nanami's shoulder and let out a meow as greeting.

The woman's lips tightened and her eyes shifted back and forth between Nanami and Aozora.

"This is my mother, Tsume," Kiba said to Nanami.

Hana looked from Tsume to Kiba and then hissed at him, "I told you to tell me _before_ you brought her over."

Tsume's head snapped towards Hana. "You knew about this?!"

"Well, yeah, mom. They're friends."

Nanami awkwardly bowed to Tsume. "It's very nice to meet you."

Tsume said nothing to her and the situation swiftly grew more tense. Nanami looked over at Kiba.

"Uh... I should probably go. Thanks for the food." Nanami bowed again to them walked back towards the village, trying not to look too urgent.

When Nanami was out of earshot, Kiba turned to his mother and crossed his arms back at her. "You didn't have to be rude to her."

Tsume gritted her teeth at him, "Why the hell would you bring her here? What's this about you two being friends?"

"She's a good person, mom."

"You know about the Nekoyama clan! I've warned you about them and that wretched father of hers!"

"I think you're letting your prejudice take over. You don't even know her!" Kiba shot back. It was a rare occurrence for Kiba stood up to his mom, but his temper could be just as bad as the woman who raised him.

"What'd you say to me?!"

"Now, now," Hana said, always the mediator for the two and the only level-headed one in the family. "She is a pretty nice girl, mom. Maybe you should get to know her a little first?"

"Whatever," Tsume muttered. "Go cool your head off and train, ya lazy bum." His mother said to Kiba and stomped into the house, stubborn as ever.

Hana turned to Kiba, "Do you have a death wish?"

"I was just showing her the pups."

"Kiba..." Hana sighed. "Mom doesn't have the best relationship with the Nekoyama clan. She's fought with Nanami's father before. That's why I wanted you to tell me first if you decided to bring her here. It's going to take some getting used to."

Kiba clenched his fist and yelled at his sister through gritted teeth, "Nanami is _not_ her father!"

He quickly ran off towards the village with Akamaru following close behind as his sister called out to him, but he ignored her.

* * *

No matter where he checked, Kiba couldn't find Nanami. He'd tried her house, the dango shop, Ichiraku's, Yamanaka flowers, the market, and wondered around half the village. He was beyond embarrassed about his mother's reaction in front of Nanami who would probably never come to his house again.

The sun was setting and Kiba walked in the direction of the dock, thinking about his mission with Nanami. They had a duty so there hadn't been much time to dwell on it, but now Kiba couldn't get it off his mind.

Even now, Kiba could feel Nanami's body against him from when they had squeezed themselves into the small hiding space. With her chest pressed up against him, there was nothing he could do to slow down his pounding heart. Kiba knew Nanami had to have felt it racing considering it was practically beating out of his chest. When they're lips brushed together, as bad as it sounded, Kiba was relieved she had banged her head against the rock wall otherwise he would've closed the small gap in between their lips.

Kiba touched his mouth with his fingertips wondering what that would feel like, then tried to shake the thought from his head.

 _What am I doing?_ He thought. _We're friends. Just friends._

As Kiba got closer to the dock, he saw a slender barefoot figure standing out on top of the water. His eyes widened as he watched the figure dance across the water, hands waving in the air, manipulating water with her fingertips. Although he made his way near the figure, he still kept his distance, not wanting to be seen spying.

 _It's Nanami._ Kiba realized, noticing Aozora curled up on the dock, soaking in the last rays of sunlight.

She continued to dance, and the water slung through the air like waves. She sprang around, spinning and using her artfully skilled hands to create intricate shapes with the water. Her silver hair moved around her, swaying with her movements. Kiba was awestruck by how stunning the spectacle was. If he hadn't known exactly who she was, Kiba would've sworn he was staring upon a water goddess. She was an ethereal beauty, the beads of water glittering in the setting sun, adding to the mystical air around her. The sight of the performance alone was exhilarating.

All Kiba could do was stare at her, completely transfixed, almost forgetting how to breathe until he heard Akamaru bark softly beside him.

The sound snapped Kiba out of his daze and he looked at the hound who was eyeing him.

"I-I'm alright boy," Kiba said then settled down next to a tree. "But I think I'm gonna hang out here a while."

Akamaru stood next to him for a little longer and then walked back home as if sensing this was a moment Kiba wanted to have privately.


	10. Chapter 9

_**"But 'just friends' don't look at each other like that."**_

 **Chapter Nine**

 _Nanami stood in pitch darkness and a thick mist enveloped everything around her. Despite the darkness and the mist, Nanami could see pretty clearly around her thanks to her cat-like senses and she quickly realized she was back in her home of Kirigakure._

 _Her eyes caught sight of a figure in the distance with long silver hair and a sparkling sapphire hair clip._

 _"Who's there?!" Nanami yelled urgently at the figure and the woman turned around, a soft smile gracing her lips. "M-mother? Is this real? Is it really you?"_

 _Nanami looked down at her body, noticing she was still a teenager, not the young girl her mother had last seen when she died. But was her mother really dead? Had it all been some illusion?_

 _When she looked up, Nanami saw her mother turn her head around and begin to walk away from her._

 _"Mother, wait for me!" Nanami called out and took off running towards her. But Nanami's movements were sluggish and slow. It was as if Nanami was running through a backward current. No matter how hard or fast Nanami tried to run, her mother got farther and farther away from her._

 _"Mother! Please wait! Don't leave me here!" Nanami begged through tears._

 _A shadowy figure appeared in front of her mother and raised its sword._

 _"NO!" Nanami cried out. "Momma!"_

 _With a slash of the sword against her body, Nanami's mother faded into the mist._

* * *

Nanami woke with a gasp and sat up in the bed, clutching at her chest. She looked around her, seeing a room with grey walls and practically nothing occupying it except for a dresser.

 _Where the hell am I?_ Nanami wondered, feeling her panic rise. She looked towards the window and her eyes caught a vase of lilies that were beginning to wilt. _Right, I'm in Konohagakure,_ she remembered.

Nanami closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, taking in full deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth just as she had taught herself to do all those years ago. Ever since Nanami had confided in Kiba out on the dock when he'd spent the day with her, she was having reoccurring dreams. Nanami could never remember the dreams upon waking, but considering the state she would wake up in, she could guess their contents. This was the first night Nanami was able to remember her dream after waking up and she wished she could go back to ignorance.

Nanami reached a tentative hand for the glass of water on her bedside table. Her hand shook and right when Nanami thought she had a grip on the glass, it slipped from her fingertips and crashed to the hardwood floor. She held her hands close to her chest, eyes squeezed shut, trying to will the shaking away.

Aozora meowed at her and walked towards the head of the bed with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm okay, girl," Nanami lied. "I've got you here with me after all."

She settled back into the bed and turned onto her side towards the window. Aozora padded towards her and curled up in her chest, letting out a soft purr to try and ease her owner's nerves.

Nanami put her arm around the soft cat and buried her face into her fur, keeping one eye on the vase of lilies. She was too scared to fall back asleep, fearing the dream would come back to haunt her.

 _They started back again because of Kiba,_ Nanami thought. She knew the dreams weren't his fault, but the events of her past were something Nanami had been successfully pushing away from her psyche for the past couple of years. Nightmares were something she hadn't worried about for quite some time.

Nanami knew there was no way to keep from talking about it with Kiba. She'd never planned to confide in him those few times she had, but the more often Nanami was around the dog-boy the more she felt all of her walls being chipped away. Every time she found herself telling him something new, something she thought she had successfully forgotten, Nanami would be dumbfounded by the words tumbling out of her mouth. Kiba made her feel vulnerable, and that was an emotion Nanami was uncomfortable with and that her father wouldn't approve of.

 _If my father saw how weak I was being right now..._ Nanami thought, cursing herself. _I need to stay away from Kiba as much as I can._

* * *

For several days, Kiba had trouble finding Nanami and felt perplexed as to why he was unable to locate her whereabouts. He'd track her scent to places she was nowhere around. It was almost as if she was wandering around the village, rubbing traces of her scent wherever she could so Kiba couldn't pinpoint her exact location. But why would she do that? Each time Kiba went to Nanami's apartment, she was either not home or wouldn't come to the door.

 _Why doesn't she want to see me?_ Kiba wondered. _Is it because of what happened when my mom saw us? If only Nanami would let me talk to her, then I could apologize._

Apologizing wasn't Kiba's strong suit, because his pride often wouldn't allow it. However, Kiba would endure the temporary discomfort and possible ridiculing if it only meant he could see her again. After watching the captivating sight of Nanami training on the water, Kiba couldn't get the image out of his head. He often found himself thinking of that moment during his sleeping and waking hours.

Kiba knew that Nanami couldn't avoid him forever. Eventually, he would see her and then he would let her know.

* * *

The past few days had been both mentally and physically exhausting for Nanami, because it turned out that hiding from someone who could easily track your scent was extremely difficult. It was even more punishing when Kiba would come to her house and she had hide out in her bathroom, covering her ears as she ignored his relentless pounding on the door, begging her to come out and talk to him. She tried to pretend like she wasn't home, but she had a strong sense that Kiba knew that she was avoiding him. That alone almost broke her heart.

But this was for the best, or so Nanami told herself. She couldn't relive the events of the past and there was no way that Nanami could be the friend that Kiba wanted and deserved. Even knowing that, Nanami still thought of Kiba every day and refused to let go of the lilies he had given her.

With war approaching, the village and all of its ninja inhabitants were doing all they could to prepare while civilians worked tirelessly to rebuild the village back to its former glory. Nanami reported bright and early to Ino to help with food inventory for the war.

"Hey, Nanami!" Ino greeted her.

"Hey, Ino," Nanami said back, trying her best to look chipper, but Nanami wasn't sleeping well and she knew it showed on her features.

Ino looked like she wanted to ask Nanami how she was doing but, sensing that Nanami wasn't in the mood to talk, she let the subject go. After checking her clipboard, Ino informed Nanami of her tasks and gave her a small smile.

The room was filled with boxes and Nanami had a sinking feeling that this was likely going to be a full day's work.

She looked up towards the second floor and her eyes caught black slit pupils staring at her. Kiba was carrying a box with Shino, but he was frozen in place. Nanami's heartbeat quickened and guilt washed over her. She knew it was impossible to avoid Kiba forever, but now that he was standing there looking hurt and confused, Nanami felt ashamed of herself.

"Uh, Kiba?" Shino piped up. "We need to move this box and... you're doing the opposite of that."

Kiba's attention snapped back to the task at hand. "Oh, yeah, right."

As Kiba continued to move boxes with Shino, he felt rage build up inside of him. Clearly, Nanami wasn't in the hospital and was perfectly healthy, albeit a little tired looking. The shocked and ashamed look on her face was all it took to confirm to Kiba that she'd been avoiding him this whole time.

Nanami kept her distance at the opposite side of the warehouse, busying herself with her own tasks. As the day moved on, Kiba let Nanami continue to avoid him, deciding that if she didn't want to see him, then perhaps he shouldn't care. However, the fury in Kiba's gut continued to build and he was sure by the end of the day, it would explode out of him.

Nanami continued busying herself, but it was impossible to stay on the opposite side of the building from Kiba forever. She went to pick up a heavy box and was puzzled when the weight suddenly became lighter. Fingertips touched her hand and Nanami peered up to see Kiba holding the opposite side of the box. She jerked her fingers back and fumbled with her end for a moment, nearly dropping the box.

"I got it," Nanami said, meekly.

"It's fine," Kiba replied. "I don't mind helping."

Nanami watched Kiba's face and although he was trying to appear unfazed, it was clear that he was hurt. She gazed into his eyes, feeling her senses melt and those pesky walls slipping away.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Ino yelled out to them. "We don't have all day for you two to stare at each other all googly-eyed. Move it!"

Nanami violently shook her head as if trying to clear all the emotions that were stirring up inside her.

"I said I've got it!" Nanami snapped at Kiba, then jerked the box away.

"Tch, fine!" He yelled back at her and turned. "Do whatever the hell you want."

 _He didn't call me 'baka,'_ Nanami thought. _He's really upset._

Nanami stubbornly brushed past him and finished all her duties away from the two boys. Kiba watched her the rest of the day as she found excuses to preoccupy herself as far away from him as possible.

 _This is freaking ridiculous,_ Kiba thought to himself. _I don't care what she wants, I'll make her tell me what the hell I did for her to treat me this way._

Nanami glanced over her shoulder and quickly walked away from him again, rounding a corner. Kiba followed, determined to catch up to her. After he rounded the corner, Kiba sprang forward, and grabbed Nanami's wrist, pulling her to a space that was closed in by boxes and pinned her against the wall.

She gasped and stared up at his wild-eyed expression as his hot breath poured over her. Nanami's cheeks flushed as Kiba kept a firm grip on her wrists. Nanami instantaneously felt consumed by the sense of wanting to push Kiba away but also wanting him to press his body against hers all at once.

As Kiba stared down at her, his expression faded from aggression to hurt.

"You've been avoiding me," he stated, voice hollow.

"No, I haven't," Nanami croaked out. It sounded like such an obvious lie, even to her own ears.

"Yes, you have. Why?" Kiba almost pleaded with her.

"You've been imagining things, baka," Nanami replied, trying to laugh the situation off, but Kiba was clearly not amused.

"Don't bullshit me! Is this about my mom? Because I don't ca-"

"It has nothing to do with you!" Nanami yelled. She knew that her avoiding him would cause him pain, but she also couldn't stand the thought of him believing that her own stupid hang-ups were his fault. "It's...I...uhm..."

"Just spit it out already!"

"I-I just..." Nanami felt tears pool in her eyes and even though she tried blinking them away, they spilled over onto her cheeks. She gritted her teeth, knowing she had to tell him, but the words were so hard to say. Finally, she spit it out. "I don't want to share any more of my past with you!"

His shoulders sagged and Kiba looked even more hurt if that was possible, but he still held onto her. Nanami knew she didn't say the right words, so she continued. "Talking about my mom and brother... It's something I've never really done before. It's been bringing up a lot of pain and regret that I've managed to keep tucked away all this time... Until now." She looked harder into Kiba's eyes. "I don't know why, but I- every time I'm around you, it keeps coming up. But that's not your fault, it's mine."

"But I'm your friend, Nanami," He said, almost desperate and moved himself closer into her. "You can talk to me. I like that you confide in me, baka!"

"But I don't want to!" She yelled back. "I'm not a good friend to have, Kiba."

He stared at her long and intensely, contemplating what she said. Finally, he spoke up, "Did you ever think that maybe bottling everything up isn't healthy for you? You're just afraid because emotions are resurfacing that you never dealt with. And you're afraid of getting close to someone only to be hurt again."

Anger flared inside Nanami, almost causing her vision to go red. "What do you even know about me! You don't, it's none of your business!"

For a long moment, Kiba and Nanami stood in place, him still pinning her against the wall and their eyes staring so intently at one another. Nanami was almost surprised the looks they were giving each other didn't leave them trembling.

At that second, Shino came around the corner and stopped in his tracks. He looked at the two uncomfortably, taking in the scene. "I... didn't realize I was interrupting something."

Kiba let go of Nanami's wrists and stepped away from her, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Tch, you're not apparently." Kiba began to walk off. "I'm leaving."

Nanami knew she should run after Kiba. But there was nothing left that she could say and she feared anything she did would hurt him more than she already had.


	11. Chapter 10

_**"The marks humans leave are too often scars."**_

 **Chapter Ten**

 _Even in her worst and most painful moments, Mother was always there for her daughter. Nanami often thought that she was receiving love for two, herself and the love that was meant for her brother. Mother spent most of her time and attention on her daughter, letting Nanami stay up far past her bedtime so that they could stare at the stars together. When Mother's ninja cat had kittens, she made certain to give the strongest of the litter to her dear daughter. Mother was confident that with Aozora, Nanami would become a strong kunoichi._

 _"Like you, Momma?" Nanami asked, bright-eyed and eager to start her ninja training._

 _"Stronger," Mother said with a sad smile and rested her hand on top of Nanami's head. "Because you'll be able to graduate from the Academy with friends and without knowing the suffering of striking down your own comrades. Unlike the rest of your family before you, you'll know what it means to fight for love instead of hatred, greed... and revenge." With those last two words, Mother's body became racked with sobs._

 _"Mother?"_

 _Despite all of Mother's love and kindness for her daughter, her heart was split between protecting the Nekoyama clan secrets and her obsession with finding the Demon of the Hidden Mist. Some nights, when little Nanami went to find her Mother, Nanami would peak into Mother's bedroom where she had poured herself over maps and Intel, muttering to herself._

 _One night, Mother was nowhere to be found. When Nanami came into Mother's room to ask her cat, the sick and dying feline simply shook her head. Nanami was eager to watch the stars again with Mother. Although the mist was thick that night, Nanami could still see the stars and couldn't wait to show Mother her improved cat-like senses. Perhaps Mother was already outside, waiting for her._

 _Nanami ran out of the house with Aozora, searching for her Mother. When she came upon to the water, Nanami spotted Mother standing by the shore, looking exhausted and injured. A tall man with bandages on his face stood on the water in front of her._

 _"Well, well," the man said to Mother, clearly amused, "I never expected my target to be so eager to meet me, but you won't be getting your revenge today. I don't die so easy. I'll be taking those clan secrets and killing you instead."_

 _Nanami's eyes widened. This must be the man Mother was looking for, Zabuza Momochi. Demon of the Hidden Mist._

 _"Mom?"_

 _Mother's head whipped around and frightened eyes met Nanami's. "No, Nanami, stay back! Run away!"_

 _Zabuza lifted his sword and Mother swung her head back towards him._

 _"NO!" Nanami screamed and sprang forward, without thinking. "Momma!"_

 _Nanami lunged in front of Mother, but a tugging sensation swiftly pulled her back._

 _A scream split the air. It took several seconds for Nanami to realize that it was her own screams as white-hot pain ripped through her eye. Nanami clutched at her face, feeling warm sticky wetness pool through her fingers. She removed her hands and tried to open her eyes, but only one would. Despite her blurry vision, Nanami saw red dripping on the ground and covering her hands._

 _She looked up, noticing that Aozora had transformed into a large saber-toothed cat and Nanami's eyes widened. She'd never seen Aozora in her battle-ready form before, but the rush of Nanami's near death experience had awakened Aozora's abilities. At that moment, the cat was able to transform and pull Nanami by her shirt with those large teeth._

 _Nanami's gaze lifted to her Mother, sure that she must have given Mother enough time to prepare for an attack. Wouldn't she be so proud when she saw that Nanami's cat had transformed?_

 _"M-mom?"_

 _Mother's body hung in the air, pierced straight through by Zabuza's sword. Blood poured from Mother and she lifted her head weakly to look at her dear daughter._

 _"Clearly the Nekoyama clan secrets aren't worth much if one of the clan leaders can be taken down so easily," Zabuza remarked coldly._

 _"Aozora..." Mother coughed on blood that gushed from her mouth. "Take Nanami... and run."_

 _Aozora grabbed onto Nanami and slung her owner around and onto her back._

 _"MOMMA!" Nanami screamed as the large cat whisked her to safety. Zabuza flung her Mother's body to the ground as if he was simply flicking mud off his sword._

 _When Nanami came back to the scene later with Father and her eye bandaged, Zabuza was nowhere to be found. Mother's lifeless body lay half in and out of the water. Nanami kneeled over Mother's corpse and collapsed into tears, suddenly knowing the pain that Mother must have felt all these years._

 _Nanami wasn't sure how long she stayed by her Mother's side, but she had cried until her one good eye was swollen and devoid of any more tears. The other ached despite the pain medication she'd been given._

 _Father, who kneeled next to her, stayed silent and masked the grief Nanami was sure that he must also be feeling. He gently turned Mother's corpse over onto her stomach and pulled out the sapphire hair clip._

 _"I'm sure if her cat hadn't fallen ill, your mother would have been successful in her revenge... or at least she would have had a more dignified death." He lifted the clip in front of him, studying its beauty. "Your eye will heal and your vision will be restored." Father looked at his daughter solemnly. "Nanami, you were brave to rush into battle like that. That bravery will make you a fine shinobi one day." Father braided the sides of Nanami's hair back and secured them with the sapphire hair clip. "And you will take over her legacy and enact her revenge. Your training began today."_

* * *

Nanami woke up with a start, paralyzed with fear. Aozora stood over her owner's sleeping frame with a desperate look of concern. Nanami tried to sit up, to let Aozora know she was okay, but her body was frozen and she couldn't move. A heavy pressure sat on her chest and the force was so great that Nanami had to take small, weak gasps for air.

Nanami's eyes widened and she wanted to scream out, but no words would come from her mouth. Inexplicable fear overtook her and Nanami wanted to do something, anything, but her useless body lay on the bed motionless. Sensing something was terribly wrong with her owner, Aozora hopped down from the bed and in a flash of blue flame, transformed into a large beast.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nanami saw Aozora paw open the window and run off into the night.

* * *

Kiba woke to the sound of heavy scratching and roars coming from outside his house. Right as Kiba opened the door of his bedroom, still exhausted, his mother violently slung open the door of the bedroom next to his, nearly ripping her door off the hinges.

"What the hell is going on out there?!" Tsume yelled with a knife clutched in her hand.

The scratching ceased for only a moment and then there was pounding on the door like something was ramming itself repeatedly into it.

Tsume cautiously approached the door and put a hand on the knob. Kiba grabbed a kunai off his bedside table and he nodded at his mother, signaling he was ready to help face the threat. However, Akamaru stood next to Kiba unfazed, as if the viscous sounds outside the door were nothing to be concerned about. Tsume nodded back at Kiba and swung open the door, then launched her kunai at the target. The beast that lunged into the room ducked and the knife pierced the living room wall.

"Aozora?" Kiba said, confused.

The large cat roared back at him and immediately Kiba sensed something was terribly wrong.

"What's wrong? What happened to Nanami?!"

"This is that Nekoyama girl's cat?" Tsume yelled through gritted teeth. "I knew that girl was trouble."

"Take me to her!" Kiba cried to Aozora, ignoring his mother's insults. The beast ran off into the woods and Kiba hopped onto Akamaru's back to follow her.

"Get your ass back here!" Tsume yelled after him. Kiba ignored her and they took off into the night in the direction of Nanami's apartment.

* * *

After several minutes of being frozen, Nanami was finally able to move her body, but the fear still remained. Her hazy mind recognized it as sleep paralysis, although she'd never experienced it until now. Despite now being able to move, Nanami's mind could barely form a coherent thought, let alone focus on anything. She sat up in her bed, trying desperately to control her breathing, but she still had to gasp for air.

Aozora jumped through the window and two more forms followed.

"Nanami?"

Kiba came into Nanami's field of vision and he sat on the bed in front of her, eyes roaming over her to search for signs of injury.

"K-Ki..." Nanami tried to form the words, but her voice trembled and she found it hard to speak.

Kiba held onto her arms and he watched her closely, trying to figure out what was wrong. "You're shaking and drenched in sweat," he said. "Let me go get you a towel." He let go of her and started to get up, but Nanami found the strength to grab him by the arm to stop him.

"Please... just-just stay here."

Kiba sat back down and his face was covered with desperate concern. "Are you sure? I can go get Sakura. She's a medical ninja, she should be able to help you."

Nanami shook her head and tried to take in a breath to explain what was happening, but she couldn't explain anything. Her mind was too muddled to form sentences and she couldn't stop her hyperventilating.

Something in Kiba's eyes seemed to click at that moment. "You're having a panic attack," he stated.

In the back her mind, Nanami knew he was right, but his words didn't make sense to her ears. Nanami hadn't had panic attacks since her mother had died.

"Is it okay if I touch you?" Kiba asked.

Nanami weakly nodded her head and Kiba wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. She rested her head against his chest and he began to rub small circles on her back.

"It's okay. You're gonna be okay. I'm here now."

The shaking slowed and Nanami felt safe and secure being in Kiba's arms. It made it easier to try and control her breathing, but she still struggled and gasped for air.

"I'm not gonna leave you. Everything will be okay," Kiba continued to speak softly to her. "Just breathe. It's okay."

Nanami tried to focus on Kiba's voice and the feeling of his fingers on her back. After a few more minutes, her shaking stopped and her breathing slowly began to return to normal.

"Thank you... Kiba," Nanami said, voice muffled against his shirt.

Kiba held her a little tighter. "Anytime, baka."

Nanami smiled and she stayed there against him for a while, relishing in the comfort of him holding her.

"I'm sorry..." She said. "For how I treated you."

Kiba shrugged. "It's alright, I guess. Friends fight."

Nanami's heart fluttered. _He still thinks of me as his friend._

"Kiba?"

"Hm?"

Nanami looked up at him, red-faced. "Will you... stay with me tonight?"

Kiba's cheeks flushed. "Y-yeah. Of course."

Nanami laid down and snuggled herself into the bed, half worried about having another dream, half at peace knowing that she wasn't going to be alone.

Before Kiba rested next to her, he looked up once more to what he'd been staring at the entire time he was comforting Nanami: dried lilies that were hung upside down to the wall above her bed.

* * *

When morning came, Kiba woke to the feeling of Nanami's forehead pressed against his and his arm around her waist. Instead of moving away like last time, Kiba smiled, took in the scent of her, and pulled her a little closer to him. Nanami's eyes fluttered open and silver irises stared into him.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah," she replied. "Thanks for staying with me."

"I'll stay here anytime you want me to," Kiba said, meaning it more than she probably realized. "Do you... want to talk about it?"

There was a long pause and Kiba was sure she'd say no, preferring to push those thoughts away again.

"Yeah. I think I do," he was surprised to hear Nanami say.

Kiba could have stayed in Nanami's bed all day with his arm wrapped her, feeling her waist against his skin, but he knew it wasn't possible. He was also starting to realize that the sensations he was feeling for her far exceeded those of friendship. Kiba wasn't sure what she thought about him, but regardless, he knew that his thoughts of her were foolish for a variety of reasons.

They sat at Nanami's coffee table with their tea and breakfast and Kiba waited in patient silence for her to say whatever it was she needed to finally get off her chest.

"I had a dream about the night that my mother died. I hadn't thought about it in a long time," Nanami began. "Zabuza killed her in front of me. It was also the day that I got this scar." Nanami pressed her fingertips to her eye. "And the day my father told me that my path to being a shinobi had truly begun."

Kiba remained in silence, attempting to keep his face neutral as Nanami relayed to him the events of her tragic past. Kiba didn't want to seem like he was being judgmental, but the more she told her story, the more upset he became. When her story reached its end, he was ignited by anger for her father .

"He didn't try to comfort you?" Kiba asked.

Nanami shrugged. "He said the pain would make me stronger. That I had led a cushy life up to that point and should know the feeling of people I love dying in front of me if I ever truly want to become a strong ninja. He said that a thirst for revenge would make me powerful."

"But he's wrong!" Kiba yelled, much to Nanami's and even his own surprise. "Look..." Kiba slowed down, trying to articulate his words correctly so he didn't upset her. "It's true that pain helps us grow and can make us stronger, but... Revenge will get you nowhere."

"There's no point for you to worry about that. I'm never going to get my revenge."

"But you still crave it," Kiba said. "And that's why you can't find peace."

"How am I ever supposed to find peace with what happened? She was taken away from me."

Kiba sighed. He wasn't good with words or these kinds of situations. As much as the kid annoyed him, Naruto popped into Kiba's mind. Even though that idiot grated his last nerve, Naruto still had a knack for changing people.

"Revenge wouldn't have brought you peace. You'd still be suffering from the hole that the loss of your mother left you with. All it would do is continue a cycle of hatred. Naruto, damn I can't stand that brat sometimes, but Naruto's master was killed. He had a chance to kill the guy that was responsible for it. You don't have to forgive Zabuza for what he did, Naruto never forgave Pain. But Naruto still chose to try to understand him and then decided not to kill him."

Kiba took another breath, not sure he was getting anywhere, but he continued anyway. "Naruto didn't kill him, because his master taught him that there's too much hate in the ninja world. That somehow, there's a chance for peace. And..." Kiba grabbed onto Nanami's hand, "your mother wasn't able to find that, because her heart was also consumed by hatred." He felt Nanami stiffen beneath his touch, but he forged on. "You were happy with your mother, weren't you? But you were so upset to see her taken over by hate. It hurt you to see the suffering she was in, because of the obsession she had with tracking down and killing Zabuza."

Nanami's lips started to tremble and she bit her lip. "That suffering... it started to consume her."

"You don't owe anything to your father, Nanami. But you owe it to yourself to live the kind of life you want to live. Your mother loved you. I won't pretend to know her, but I'm sure that she wouldn't want you to suffer like she did. I bet she would have wanted you to find peace."

Mother's words popped into Nanami's head. _Unlike the rest of your family before you, you'll know what it means to fight for love instead of hatred, greed... and revenge._

"Yeah," Nanami said with a small smile and squeezed Kiba's hand. "You're right. She thought I was stronger than that."


	12. Chapter 11

**Author note:** Sorry it took me a couple of days to get this chapter up! I was on a pretty good streak before, publishing about a chapter a day. However, battle scenes are a little difficult for me to write. Usually words seem to flow out pretty well when I begin typing the chapters out, but this one took more thought and brainstorming to plan out. Hope you like it! If you have any suggestions, critiques, or just want to let me know how you're liking the story so far - nudge, nudge - leave me a comment! It's made me so happy reading the few I have so far :)

 **Disclaimer, just because:** Obviously, as I stated in the character description, I don't own Naruto or any characters besides the OC's (Nanami and Aozora).

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 _ **"You are, always were, worth coming apart for."**_

 **Chapter Eleven**

Kiba and Nanami often made it a habit to spend their time together, training in the mornings and hanging out in the evenings by the dock with whatever takeout they'd chosen for the day. Sure, Kiba's mother was pissed, but what else was new? He got the ass chewing of a lifetime when he hadn't shown up back at the house the night he'd stayed at Nanami's.

Despite trying to ignore and deny it to himself every time it stirred up inside his gut, Kiba knew that the feelings he was experiencing far exceeded what logically made sense. Nanami was intoxicating to him. She smelled like love and the first time he got caught in those silver eyes, he knew that he'd fallen into a trap that he had no chance of escaping. Kiba could never quite figure her out. Together they were like fire and ice, but he craved her anyway.

There were a few times he thought of telling her this, but the inner battle occurring in Kiba's mind always talked him out of it. How stupid would that be? Even if Nanami wasn't a member of the Nekoyama clan, there was still the problem of her eventually returning to her home village. Who knew how soon that would be. Those thoughts depressed Kiba, so he'd push them from his mind. All he wanted was to spend time with her, without dwelling on the hole that would be left in his life once she was gone.

"I was thinking," Nanami piped up as they rested on the training grounds, "why don't we eat at Ichiraku's today? We could actually sit down and eat there."

Kiba rolled his eyes at her. "Don't tell me you're growing a ramen obsession. We don't need another Naruto in the village. I'd have to stop hanging out with you."

Nanami thumped him on the forehead and he rubbed at the spot, glaring at her.

"For your information, I haven't been to Ichiraku's since my first day here and that was a couple of weeks ago."

"Fine, fine. Ramen it is. Just don't blame me if you turn into a knuckle-headed loudmouth. Oh, whoops, too late."

Nanami stuck her tongue out at him and took off running, Aozora following after her. "Last one there buys lunch!"

"Hey, wait! That's not fair," Kiba yelled. He and Akamaru quickly dashed off, trying to catch up to them.

Nanami beat him to Ichiraku's and she pointed a finger at Kiba once he arrived behind her. "Ha!" She yelled. "I win!"

"But you cheated, baka!"

"Please," she rolled her eyes. "I would've won anyway."

Kiba huffed and crossed his arms. "If you wanted me to pay for your food, you could have just asked and I would have treated you."

"But this way is more fun."

"Hey, Nanami! Kiba!"

"Oh, hey Sakura," Kiba said, just now noticing the pink haired ninja sitting next to Sai inside the ramen shop.

She smiled wickedly at him. " _You_ two seem to be getting along nowadays."

Nanami put her hands on her hips. "Tch, I just feel bad for the baka, cause he needs so much help with his ninjutsu." She cast a smirk in Kiba's direction. "But what do you expect from the Inuzuka clan?"

"MY JUTSU IS FLAWLESS!" Kiba yelled and then returned her smirk. "Besides, the Nekoyama clan techniques are nothing to ride home about. Akamaru and I are way more in sync!"

"Good enough to defeat _you._ "

"WHAT'D YOU SAY TO ME?!"

"YOU HEARD ME!"

Kiba wrapped Nanami in a headlock and she giggled as he fussed up her hair.

"One of my books said that immature men who have trouble articulating their feelings will often tease the girls they like," Sai said, directed at Sakura. "Is that accurate?"

"Oh yeah," she replied to him, nodding. "Definitely."

Kiba quickly let Nanami go. "Who're you calling immature?"

Nanami cleared her throat and flattened down her hair before taking the seat next to Sakura.

Sai leaned close to Sakura and whispered loudly, "Dog-breath didn't deny liking her."

"We can hear you," Kiba and Nanami deadpanned.

"We're just friends," Kiba continued. "That's all. Anway, what're you guys doing here? I thought you only came here, because of Naruto."

Sakura and Sai looked at each other and laughed, before Sakura said, "I guess we were missing the annoying little brat. Go figure, huh?"

Nanami and Kiba placed their orders, and they all continued friendlier chit-chat for a while, but there was a different subject that had been grating on Nanami's nerves as of late.

"So... Sakura," Nanami finally said, "can you, uh, could you tell me about Zabuza?"

Sakura stiffened as if Nanami was about to reach out and grab her by the throat as Nanami had with Naruto the first day she arrived.

"You had said to me once that your team encountered him when you were a Genin," Nanami continued.

"Yeah, I did. But, um, are you sure you wanna know?"

Nanami nodded, determined. "Yeah, I'm sure now."

"Let's see," Sakura tapped her chin, trying to recall the memory. "Zabuza had been on an assignment given to him by a man named Gato to kill a bridge builder that we were protecting. Our sensei, Kakashi, had fought against Zabuza while Naruto and, um... our teammate Sasuke fought against a boy named Haku. I protected Tazuna during their battles. It really seemed like Kakashi-sensei was going to win, but..." Sakura trailed off and a sad look came into her eyes. "At the last moment, Haku jumped in front of Zabuza and took Kakashi-sensei's blow in order to save him."

"But... why would he do that?" Nanami asked her, confused.

"Well, Zabuza was very precious to Haku. Haku's sole purpose for living was to protect him. From what Naruto told me, when Haku's mother died he began traveling with Zabuza." As if sensing Nanami's discomfort, she immediately said, "Zabuza didn't kill Haku's mom. Haku's dad did and then tried to kill him when he discovered their Kekkei Genkai. Haku became a tool for Zabuza."

Nanami balled her hands into fists at that word. _Tool._

"Or that's how he played it off. It turned out, Haku was also very precious to Zabuza. He loved that boy. When Gato came with men to betray Zabuza, Zabuza killed him, effectively saving the bridge and the citizens as a result – although, that part wasn't really on his mind. Before Zabuza died, he requested that Kakashi-sensei bring him to Haku so he could die by Haku's side. We buried them next to each other."

There was a long moment of silence, everyone waiting to see how Nanami would react.

"So," Nanami began, a sad look crossing over her face, "even he was able to find peace in the end."

Too many emotions stirred inside Nanami for her to be able to pinpoint exactly how she was feeling. It seemed hard to believe that the Demon of the Hidden Mist had anyone that he cared about. The man was a traitor who abandoned his country and often killed for money or the sheer pleasure of it. Could someone like that find love for another in the end? Is there anything he could've done to deserve it?

Kiba rested a hand on Nanami's fist. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"I don't know..." Nanami replied uncertain and gave him a small smile. "But I will be."

* * *

As the group was finishing their meals, they were all summoned to report to Lady Hokage's office. They arrived promptly to Shino and Hinata already waiting inside for them, the atmosphere tense.

"You summoned us, Milady?" Sakura said, bowing to her master with respect.

"Ah," Lady Tsunade nodded. "Now that you're all here, let's begin. According to Shino, it seems the four ninjas that team eight along with Nanami were tracking are now heading back towards the village. They aren't close yet, so there's plenty of time to intercept whatever they may be planning. I will be sending the same team out along with Sakura and Sai. Their abilities should come in handy for neutralizing this threat. I need you all to set out immediately. We must take out this threat quickly and effectively."

The group set out within thirty minutes and began heading in the direction of the enemy ninjas, with Shino taking the lead.

"We're getting close," Kiba said. "I'm picking up on the scent that Nanami and I encountered on our last mission."

"Yes, but..." Shino narrowed his eyes and Nanami wished he would take off those stupid goggles so she could read his expression.

Hinata activated her Byakugan. "That's strange," she said.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"I can see them up ahead, but it seems one has split up from the others. It's the same four from before, no one else is with them, but one is circling around the village and the other three almost look as if they're retreating."

"Perhaps we should split up so we don't lose track of that other ninja," Sai suggested.

"I agree." Nanami nodded her head. "You guys can go after those three. Kiba and I can take this guy."

"A mission may not be the best time to make excuses to run off to have sexual relations," Sai said, in his typical way where Nanami couldn't tell whether he was kidding or not.

"What the hell is wrong with this guy?" Nanami said, addressing no one in particular. "No, I'm saying that Kiba can follow his scent while you guys go on ahead."

"Will you guys be okay on your own?" Sakura asked.

"We'll be fine!" Kiba reassured her. "Nanami and I have been training together-"

"Training." Sai put air quotations around this. "The book said that words can have double meanings-"

"-and besides, with Akamaru and Aozora with us that'll make four. We got this!" Kiba finished.

After deciding on a meetup point, Kiba and Nanami broke off from their comrades.

"I wonder why he'd go off on his own," Kiba commented. "Do you know anything about his fighting style?"

Nanami shook her head. "No, but it's safe to assume he's aware of mine since he'll know of the Nekoyama clan. All I know is that Sao is a Jonin so obviously he's pretty strong. Meaning, you know, don't get all hotheaded and rush in, baka."

"What the hell kind of teamwork is that?" He replied curtly and then stopped, landing on a tree branch. "We're close. Plan Inu-yama?"

"I thought we decided on Neko-zuka."

"That was never the plan."

"But my part comes first."

Kiba rolled his eyes, "Are you ready or not?"

"Yeah, let's do this." Nanami put her hands together, performing a seal. "Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu."

As mist enveloped the area, Kiba continued tracking the scent, closing them in on the target. Once the Hidden Mist ninja was in sight, Nanami and Aozora fanned out to different locations while Kiba and Akamaru performed their Beast Mimicry to become more animal-like and turn the ninken into a clone of Kiba.

In perfect synchronization, Nanami and Aozora attacked the front and back of the Hidden Mist ninja in the trees while Kiba and Akamaru took the sides. They all bared their sharp claws at the target. Right as claws should have pierced skin, Nanami felt her nails run through water.

 _A water clone? No, wait!_

The ninja by the name of Sou grinned at her as a veil of water covered his chest, stomach, and back like armor, shielding him from their attack. In a flash, his hair extended and thick threads of black locks shot off to the sides of the ninja's body and encircled Kiba and Akamaru, trapping them. Sou violently swung the two into Aozora and Nanami, knocking them out of the trees before tossing the others to the earth.

Nanami and Aozora gracefully landed to their feet as Kiba and Akamaru made a rough impact with the ground.

"Are you two okay?" Nanami asked him, refusing to take her eyes off their opponent who was smirking in their direction from the trees. Nanami could see the ninja pretty clearly, but unless he had some kind of sensory type technique, he shouldn't be able to see them in the heavy mist. But then again, most Hidden Mist ninjas were used to battling under these circumstances.

"Yeah... What the hell was that?" Kiba asked, he and Akamaru's copy of him rising to their feet.

"It's a water protection jutsu. It covers the user with a veil of water, either their whole body or a targeted area. As for the hair... I don't know."

"Should we go with plan b?"

"That jutsu dampens the effects of fire and taijutsu attacks, effectively cutting their attack power in half." Nanami sighed and bit her lip. "This is going to be rough for both of us. I doubt the mist fazes him. I'd say that I could hit him with my oil attack so you could throw your smoke bombs, but with your head-on based attacks, the oil would likely get on you too."

"So, what do we do?" Kiba asked as the black-haired ninja jumped to the ground and slowly walked in their general direction as if this were a chat among friends instead of a battle.

Nanami pulled her katana from the sheath on her back. "You take the lead with your fang over fang. I'll switch out with you and hit him with my sword. We may have to assess the situation longer to come up with a more effective strategy."

Kiba and Akamaru performed their Fang Over Fang, swirling towards their opponent at a devastating speed. Nanami watched keenly as the mist ninja didn't attempt to avoid the attack, it was nearly impossible to do anyway, but instead performed hand seals and spat a powerful blast of water at the two.

While preoccupied, Nanami came at the ninja's exposed side, sword raised. When she was only a few paces away, black hair shot towards her and she made quick slices with the katana, hacking off the hair. No matter how much Nanami seemed to cut, the hair continued to extend, continuously coming at her.

 _I can do this!_ Nanami thought, as she relentlessly inched her way towards him. _There!_

As she was about to take a swipe at her opponent's side, the hair twisted and managed to wrap itself around her sword, wrenching it from her grip. Having taken care of Kiba and Akamaru with a powerful blast of scalding hot water, the mist ninja turned and chucked her sword into the trees

The hair immediately extended again and wrapped itself around Nanami, rendering her incapable of movement. Aozora dashed towards her owner to use her sharp claws to free Nanami right as Sou delivered another blast of water. The attack hit both Nanami and her ninneko, burning flesh.

Nanami struggled off the ground and surveyed the pink burn marks that patched her skin.

 _We can't afford to get hit with that jutsu too much. The more we do, the more serious these burns are going to get._

Sou chuckled to himself as the mist began to clear. "Isn't this something?" The mist ninja said through laughs. "A Ninken and Ninneko user working together. My, my, you must be embarrassments to your parents. And ninjas from different villages, no less!"

"What the hell's your problem?!" Kiba spat at Sou as he helped up the Kiba version of Akamaru.

"What?" Sou said, feigning innocence. "I was just wandering around the woods when you two naughty ninja attacked me."

"We know what you're planning," Nanami growled at him. "We know you work for Ganryu."

Sou made a noise of disgust. "I don't want to hear that name! That traitor gave up his plan and turned himself in, all because of some blonde-haired leaf ninja babbling on about 'peace.' As if that's possible."

 _Naruto?_ Nanami wondered. _Lady Tsunade did say she sent him to the direction of the Land of Lightning. He must have encountered Mist Ninja along the way._

"So that's why you split from the others?" Kiba asked as they appeared next to Nanami and Aozora.

"That stubborn fool told us to abort the mission. Just because they've all lost sight of our goal doesn't mean I have!" Sou pointed an accusatory finger at Nanami. "Why are you siding with a Leaf Ninja anyway! This alliance is doomed, whether I intervene or not. Someone's sure to betray someone along the line. We might as well get ahead of this before we're the ones who get stabbed in the back!"

"You're wrong," Nanami said back to him. "Everything that you're doing, it's setting us backward. We need strong alliances, especially now. Once our teammates catch up to the others and realize what's going on, they'll come back here. Wisen up like your leader did before you get yourself killed."

Sou smirked. "You haven't landed a blow on me so far. I have plenty of time to kill you before they get here," he shouted gleefully and shot his hair out towards them.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Nanami held her index finger and thumb together in a circle near her mouth and blew a large ball of flame towards their attacker. The smell of singed hair filled the air, as the flames made an impact and traveled down the black hair towards the him. Sou quickly put up his water veil again before the flames could reach his scalp.

"If you think you can burn or cut off my hair, you're wrong. No matter what you do, it'll continue to extend and grow." Sou chuckled.

 _That seems to be the case,_ Nanami thought to herself. _But he made sure to protect his scalp. I imagine he has chakra rooted in his hair follicles and some special technique that helps it grow and extend like that. And I bet that protection jutsu uses a lot of chakra, which is why he only uses it when he needs to._

"We were so close last time," Nanami murmured to Kiba. "We have to overwhelm him and land a blow when he has his water protection down. You hit him when he's in the middle of a jutsu. I'll disract him."

"You got it." Kiba nodded to her as Nanami and Aozora took off running towards Sao with cat chakra claws.

They dodged and weaved hair that attempted to ensnarl them, hacking away at it with their razor-sharp claws infused with chakra whenever necessary. Sao prepared his hand seals to give her another blast of water. Right as Sou hit her and Aozora with another scalding blast, Kiba and Akamaru launched over them, straight towards the attacker.

"Fang Over Fang!"

Before Sou had finished his attack on the cat ninjas and was still preoccupied, the massive funneling attack hurled at Sou and his body flew backward. He hit a tree with enough impact that it cracked.

"Wahoo!" Kiba shouted into the air after he and Akamaru landed on the ground.

Black hair wrapped around Kiba's mouth.

"You're too annoying, all because you landed one little hit."

Sou stood up, obviously injured and having already used up quite a bit of chakra to try and end the battle quickly.

"Let's shut you up, why don't we?"

Sou retracted his hair, pulling Kiba towards him with great speed.

"Kiba!" Nanami yelled out to him.

Nanami, Akamaru, and Aozora launched themselves forward to save Kiba, but even with their agility, they weren't able to make it in time. Kiba was pulled at great speed and his face made a solid impact with Sao's fist. When they got close, Sao threw Kiba straight towards her, sending his body hurtling into hers. The ninken and ninneko were quickly caught in his hair and slung about like rag dolls, bodies launched towards the ground.

Kiba and Nanami struggled up, trying to formulate a plan.

 _Kuso,_ Nanami cursed in her mind. _Fire attacks aren't going to really work on this guy. Not only does that hair make it hard to get close, but that water protection is tricky. He's used up a lot of chakra already with that water protection, but we don't have time to wait until he's completely tired out._

"Ninja Art: Hair Sword!"

Nanami's eyes widened and she lunged towards Kiba.

"Watch out!" She screamed and pushed him out of the way, feeling a sharp pain in her side.

Kiba skidded on the ground and after regaining himself, he looked up. Nanami stood almost right where he'd been earlier and black hair pierced the left side of her stomach. Coming out through her back was hair shaped in a needle-sharp point.

"Nanami!" He cried as the hair pulled out of her, leaving a deep puncture wound that oozed blood. He ran to her as she started to fall and caught her, holding her against him. Nanami clutched at her side, putting pressure on the wound. "This is bad," he said, surveying her.

Sao laughed at them. "How pitiful for her to waste her time protecting you. Someone who's not even from her own clan, let alone her own village!" He put a hand to his forehead and shook his head. "It's a shame she's going to lose her life for the sake of someone like you."

"Aozora," Kiba said, gently laying Nanami on the ground. "Protect her. Akamaru and I will handle this."

Kiba stood tall and stepped a few paces forward, staring Sou down with fierceness he'd never quite known he had until now.

"Let's do this, buddy." He said to Akamaru.


	13. Chapter 12

_**"And the only solution was to stand and fight."**_

 **Chapter Twelve**

Kiba stood in front of Sou with his hands balled into fists. He wasn't sure how he was going to take this guy down, but all he knew was that he had to. No matter what, he would protect Nanami and prove himself. After the past few weeks of being with her, Kiba now realized what had happened to him. And he knew that he'd give up his life even if it meant she'd keep on living without knowing how he felt about her.

"Don't do it!" Nanami yelled after him frantically. "I'll be okay if you can just buy me some time to recover I'll..." She sat up slowly and tried to stand but fell back to the ground, clutching her wound and hissing at a wave of fresh pain. "Damn it!" Nanami pounded her fist on the ground in frustration.

"You're making your wound worse, baka." Kiba turned his head slightly and smiled at her. "Take care of yourself and I'll protect you. Just leave this to us."

Sou began to laugh in an overexaggerated way, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. "Oh, come on now, _really?_ " He stood back up and wiped tears from his eyes. "What could you possibly do? You couldn't even defeat me together."

"You haven't seen anything yet," Kiba replied. "Ready, Akamaru?" The dog barked in response.

Kiba pulled a few kunai from his pouch and hurled them. As Sou deflected the knives, Kiba popped a food pill and ran towards him as fast as he could, throwing shuriken non-stop. Sou skillfully deflected them with black hair that extended outward, but Kiba continued his assault, doing his best to keep the mist ninja preoccupied.

Kiba dodged the last bit of hair and once he reached his opponent, Kiba swung the kunai in his hand at Sou. The mist ninja deflected with his own kunai, not noticing the ninken that had sprung into the air.

 _Now!_ Kiba thought and quickly jumped back and dodged hair that tried to trap him.

"Dynamic marking!"

Akamaru spun in the air, using his piss as a way to mark their opponent with his scent.

"What the hell?!" Sou screamed and black hair shot out towards the ninken and wrapped around his ankle, tossing him to the ground. Akamaru weakly stood back up.

"You okay, buddy?" Kiba asked. The big dog barked as a confirmation.

 _That'll have to do. At least Akamaru was able to hit him with the dynamic marking before being taken down. It's over now,_ Kiba thought a little smugly.

"Inuzuka style! Man Beast Transformation Combo. Two-Headed Wolf!"

Nanami gaped as a large red-eyed two-headed beast stood in the space Kiba and Akamaru had been. The wolf was sinister looking and drool dripped from it's snarling mouth.

 _Is this... really Kiba's power?_ She thought. _I had no idea._

The wolf launched itself into the air and performed a more intense high-speed rotation with a force so great that Nanami had to shield her face from the powerful wind it created in its wake.

"Wolf Fang Over Fang!"

Sou desperately tried to avoid Kiba's blast, but no matter where the mist ninja went, he couldn't dodge the attack after being marked with Akamaru's scent. The blast hit Sou head on and his body was hurled across the forest.

Nanami moved her arm away, wincing at the pain of every little motion. The rotation attack stopped and the beast waited, surveying the aftermath of the destruction it caused.

 _That ought-a done the trick,_ Kiba thought, relieved because after that attack he could feel his body right on the verge of giving out.

The beast's eyes widened as it saw Sou slowly stand.

 _What the hell?! That attack should've ripped his body to shreds!_

The wolf looked on in horror as it saw a thick veil of water armor covering Sou's whole body. The water armor dropped and Sou looked up weakly.

"I gotta hand it to ya, kid, that was some attack. It's not often that I'm forced to use full-body water armor. If I hadn't of had it, I would have suffered the full blow of that."

The large beast let out a deep growl.

 _Okay, stay calm,_ Kiba thought to himself. _He may have cut my attack power in about half, but he still suffered a serious blow. If I can just hit him one more time, we'll be able to end this!_

The two-headed wolf started to jump forward for its next attack, but Kiba felt themselves being stopped suddenly and barely unable to move.

"Not so fast!" Sou shouted.

Hair wrapped around the wolf's ankles and Sou prepared himself for his next attack.

"Kiba!" Nanami yelled. "You and Akamaru have to get out of there! That water cannon he's preparing for is so powerful it could carve through stone!"

But it was too late. Nanami watched in horror as Sou's cheeks filled and he let out an enormous blast of burning water that hit the wolf head on.

Kiba and Akamaru's jutsu broke and they laid helpless on the ground, covered in serious burns. From where Nanami was, she could tell that Akamaru was knocked completely unconscious and that Kiba was suffering from severe wounds.

Sou laughed wickedly and sharpened his hair into a sword as he slowly approached Nanami. She could tell he was in no rush, whether it was from his wounds or because he wanted to relish the moment, Nanami was unsure.

Kiba struggled to his feet, barely even awake at this point, and stumbled towards Nanami in a desperate attempt at a run. Aozora roared viscously and charged at the enemy mist ninja. Sou smirked and used the other part of his hair to wrap around her in order to keep the ninneko in place.

"I think that maybe I'll keep this one. She'd make a nice prize... or better yet, someone will pay good money for her," Sou said then turned his attention back to Kiba who'd made his way over to Nanami. "Oh, what's this? He still has the strength to stand?"

Kiba collapsed on top of Nanami, his face inches away from hers.

"W-what are you doing?" Nanami asked.

"I said..." Kiba winced. "I said that I'd-that I'd protect you, didn't I?"

Sou gritted his teeth. "What is it with you two?! Stop acting like you care just to prove a point. This whole alliance is a farce!"

"You don't have to," Nanami screamed to his face. "Just get out of here and go get the others!"

"I'm not leaving you," Kiba replied stubbornly.

Nanami's eyes teared up and spilled over the sides of her face. "Kiba, why? Why're you doing this? You can still make it!"

Kiba's battered face looked back at her. "Because I love you, baka!"

Sou screamed in frustration. "Fine! If you want to die, then I'll just kill you together in one move!"

As the hair sword rushed towards Kiba's back, Nanami willed all the strength she had left up to the surface. She bucked her hips and rolled Kiba over so she was on top of him, then poured chakra into her feet. Swiftly, Nanami sprang forward, clutching Kiba against her and their bodies skidded across the ground to safety. Sou's hair sword pierced the earth and shattered the ground where they once had been.

Nanami slowly rose to her feet, doing everything she could to block out the blinding pain in her left side.

"Don't do it," Kiba grumbled, on the edge of passing out from the pain that the burn wounds rubbing against the ground had caused.

Nanami slightly turned her head towards him and smirked. "Do you really think I'm gonna do that after you wouldn't listen to me?"

Sou manically laughed again, putting a hand over his face. "My god, you're just a walking corpse."

Nanami ignored him and looked at Aozora, still bound by the enemy.

"Forgive me, Aozora," Nanami said softly as she reached behind her head and unclipped the sapphire pin from her hair.

Kiba watched in awe as the braids in Nanami's silver hair loosened and flowed delicately over her shoulders. Nanami performed hand seals, the pin held in between her palms.

 _No matter what happens,_ Nanami thought. _This ends here. I refuse to die and let this guy run off before the other's make it here. I won't lose._

She tossed the clip into the air and in a puff of smoke, it transformed into a scroll. Nanami swiped her thumb against her wound and caught the end of the scroll in her hand. As it flew open, she smeared her blood down its contents.

"Secret Nekoyama Art: Ninneko Beast Blend!"

Sou's hair went limp where Aozora had been captured by it, as the cat disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Nanami doubled over as the pain and power washed through her muscles and every single cell in her body. Her chakra exploded with intensity and she felt the agony of her body unnaturally transforming.

 _Her hair clip... was a scroll this whole time?_ Kiba thought. _So that's where the Nekoyama clan kept their forbidden jutsu hidden._

The result was fierce and terrifying. Nanami's already sharp claws extended to that of what a lion would possess and dug into the ground. Her canine teeth extended and were so sharp, Kiba was sure that she'd be able to tear through a human body with them as if biting into a piece of bread. From Nanami's head sprang black ears and her hair grew even longer, extending so far that it almost reached her knees. What stood where Nanami had once been was no longer human.

Nanami's eyes opened, revealing themselves to be pitch-black. There was no trace of whites to her eyes or even a pupil, as far as Kiba could tell. He felt his body go cold, and as the beast that was once Nanami growled deeply, he wondered if there was any trace left of the girl he loved.

Kiba blinked in surprise, as the spot where she'd once stood was vacant. It was as if she'd disappeared instantaneously.

 _What the..._

He turned his head and saw that Nanami was now battling Sou, but her movements were so fast that his eyes could hardly keep up.

All Nanami felt was anger and a primal desire to kill the man before her. There were no longer any thoughts in her head, there was only rage and bloodlust. As power rippled through her, Nanami sprang forward towards her opponent and landed a punch so hard that she felt bones crack beneath her fist.

Sou's body launched backwards from the impact and in a blink of an eye, Nanami appeared behind him and delivered a kick to his back. The enemy ninja's body was propelled into the air. Nanami skidded and landed on her feet before she burst into the air like a torpedo, ascending above his body. Her movements were so fast, Sou didn't have any chance of blocking or using a jutsu to protect himself.

Nanami's fingers sprouted blue flames and she shot her fire arrow at point blank range. The flames engulfed him and his body hit the ground with such force that it left a crater in the earth. Nanami landed softly on her feet, hovering over Sou's limp body.

His eyes blinked slowly and Nanami's soulless black eyes watched him as he hung on the very edge of death.

"Do it..." He croaked, choking on his own blood. "you... traitor."

In one swift motion, Nanami took her razor-sharp claws and rammed them right through the mist ninja's heart.

Kiba lay on the ground, watching the battle with fascination and slight repulsion. Nanami took her fist from the enemy ninja's chest and blood dripped from her long nails to the earth. She turned her head towards Kiba. In one instant she was across the field next to Sou and in another, she was standing in front of Kiba.

Kiba's breath caught in his throat and he stared into her black eyes that rattled his very soul.

 _Am I gonna die now too?_ He wondered.

"Are you okay?" She growled at him.

"A-ah..."

"I'm," she began to say as the black faded from her eyes and returned to the silver irises he always found himself getting lost in, "so glad."

Her features slowly returned to normal and her body crumpled. Kiba lifted himself up, trying to catch her fall, but she ended up falling on top of him in the process. His head shifted and he saw that Aozora was back where she'd disappeared from, but her body was weak and clearly on the edge of death.

"Nanami..." Kiba started, almost too in shock to speak. "Why did you... you could you have run. W-why didn't you run?"

Nanami weakly lifted her head and rested her forehead against his. "Because I..." She struggled, every word and movement absolute agony, "I love you, baka."

Without thinking, Kiba wrapped his hand around Nanami's neck and pulled her lips into his. The kiss was desperate and passionate and everything he'd imagined that it would be. In Kiba's mind, he briefly thought that her lips were even more intoxicating than her smell. Nanami reached up and intertwined her fingers with Kiba's other hand. He kissed her as long as he had the strength to, but it didn't last for nearly what he would have liked. Kiba wondered if a kiss with her ever could.

After their lips parted, Nanami immediately passed out on top of him. As Kiba slowly slipped into unconsciousness with their fingers still intertwined, he swore to himself that whether they died today or not, he'd spent the rest of eternity loving her.


	14. Chapter 13

_**"I woke up wanting to kiss you."**_

 **Chapter Thirteen**

Kiba could feel himself fading in and out of consciousness. Or was he already dead? This he was unsure about as he had no previous experience to go off of. As Kiba waded through empty darkness and numbing pain, he felt a pressure suddenly lift off of his chest. A warbled sound came through his ears as if he was listening from underwater. Every once in a while, he thought that he could discern a few words out of the jumbled mess.

 _"Kiba...hear...happened...bad...serious...now...Nanami..."_

Nanami? Just the simple utterance of the silver-eyed beauty put Kiba in a serene and euphoric state. And that _hair,_ my god. Kiba thought of her silver locks slowly coming undone from her braids as she unclipped her hair and, in the same moment, he thought about her using her sharp claws to rip through a man's chest to take his very breath away. That was the thing about Nanami. She was brutal but soft. Lips so soft, Kiba wanted to chase that very feeling of them against his every second of his life. If he still had one to live.

 _Does she really love me?_ Kiba wondered. Lilies danced in his vision and suddenly Kiba was brought back to that day – the day he'd first fallen in love with her because he'd loved her long before he had the guts to let her know. The day they'd met, he knew those silver eyes were a trap that he'd fall for hook, line, and sinker. But he knew it all truly began that day he showed up on her doorstep to make good on their bet and then ended the night by replacing the flowers in her vase with fresh lilies. For some reason that Kiba couldn't identify at the time, he kept one of the wilting flowers for himself and saved it in his photo album. A photo album that Kiba now wanted to fill with pictures of her.

 _She kept the flowers I gave her on her wall._

With that last thought, Kiba felt himself smile in his mind. He hoped that, if he died today, he'd die with that smile on his lips because it was all for her.

* * *

Sakura, Sai, Shino, and Hinata ran to the spot where their teammates were as fast as their legs could carry them. After they'd caught up to the Hidden Mist ninjas who were already traveling at a decent pace in the opposite direction, they quickly found out the gravity of the situation. Naruto had somehow convinced Ganryu to pursue peace instead of vengeance. The former enemy ninja had turned himself in right before giving his subordinates orders to abort the plan to attack the Leaf Village that was meant to drive a wedge into the alliance.

Sou was different. Sou could never trust shinobi other than the ones from his own village and he had too much bad blood with, well, just about everyone. Perhaps if Naruto was around, because that blonde idiot had a weird way with words and a personality that wormed its way into your very soul, he could have talked Sou out of it. But Naruto wasn't around and Sou was too dead-set on doing whatever he could to keep the Land of Water away from foreign ninja. Even if it meant he'd die in the process, Sou would be happy to at least take others down with him.

Sakura could sense something was very _very_ wrong and sent Sai ahead on his beast scroll bird to survey the situation or provide assistance for battle. The circumstances were worse than Sakura had allowed herself to think.

"Kiba! Nanami!" Hinata yelled as soon as their teammates came into sight and they entered the forest clearing where the battle had taken place.

When Sakura reached the two, she turned Nanami over who was on top of Kiba so that she was now lying on the ground on her back. Sakura briefly noticed that the two were holding hands and pushed it from her mind to instead focus on their wounds.

"Kiba, can you hear me?" Sakura asked him, shaking him gently to see if she could get a response. She turned to Nanami and did the same. "Nanami?" Sakura used her medical ninjutsu to assess their wounds and provide healing until they could make it back to the Leaf Village.

"I wonder what happened here?" Shino pondered.

"Whatever happened," Sai said, standing near Sou and taking in his battered form, "those two didn't go down easy."

"This is bad," Sakura said anxiously. "They're wounds are serious. Nanami's lost so much blood, Kiba is covered in serious burns, and they both lost massive amounts of chakra. They may be able to make it, but only if we get them back to the Leaf Village immediately. Sai?"

"Got it," Sai said. The pale ninja took out his scroll and quickly scribbled on it before two large birds appeared.

* * *

When Nanami's eyes fluttered open, she found herself in a foreign place staring at a white ceiling and fluorescent lights.

 _What the hell?_ She thought, closing her eyes against the too harsh light. Nanami weakly attempted to organize her muddled thoughts to discern what had happened and why she was in this strange place. Kiba's face almost instantaneously popped into her mind, hovering over her body to protect her from Sou. Nanami gasped and she frantically turned her head every which way to find him.

Nanami was lying in a bed while a sleeping Kiba sat in a chair next to her with his head rested comfortably on her legs. His arm was across the bed and his fingers were intertwined with her own.

 _I'm... in a hospital,_ she realized.

Akamaru laid near the back wall of the room with Aozora's small form snuggled into him. The large dog wagged his tail and barked at her as a warm hello.

Kiba lifted his head slightly, in a daze. "What is it, boy?" He yawned and rubbed his eyelids.

"Kiba?"

Kiba immediately stopped rubbing his eyes and his head snapped up to look at her, startled.

"Nanami! You're awake," he said and reached with his other hand to clasp hers with both, clutching her hand tighter.

"Ah," Nanami said then tried to sit up and winced at the movement.

"Hey, take it easy," Kiba said and leaned forward to help her sit up and lean against her pillow.

Nanami gently touched her ribs close to where she knew her wound was, feeling the bandages underneath her hospital gown. A sudden realization dawned on her and she felt the back of her head, panicked.

"Don't worry, it's right here," Kiba said and reached into his pocket, pulling out her sapphire hair clip. "Hinata grabbed it when they rescued us. She gave it to me as soon as I woke up. I'm sorry I held on to it, but... I know it's important to you and I wanted to make sure it was safe until you were awake. I promise not to tell anyone about it."

"Arigato," she said and took the pin from him. Nanami began braiding the sides of her hair to clip it in place with the pin. "I'm guessing we didn't die. How come you're not in the hospital too?"

"I am in the hospital."

Nanami sighed and waved her hand about. "You know what I mean. Why aren't you cooped up in one of these beds?"

"I was," Kiba said and motioned to the bandages he was covered in. "You've just been out for a few days. My wounds weren't nearly as fatal as yours, it was mostly burns and chakra fatigue. I was released yesterday. They told me it was fine as long as took it easy and rest." He paused, then added, "I was worried about you."

"Oh." Nanami's brain was still slowly trying to piece together all the events that had transpired up until this point. Her head felt foggy and she was having trouble collecting herself. Nanami's immediate reaction was, of course, sarcasm. "I guess that's what happens when I have to save your ass."

Kiba released her hand and jumped out of his chair, nearly toppling it over. "BAKA!" He yelled, shaking his fist at her. "You nearly got yourself killed! And don't act like such a big-shot and pretend that you could've done it all without me!"

Nanami's eyes crinkled as she smiled softly at him. She loved how cute he was when he got all worked up. "Ah. You're right. Arigato, Kiba."

Kiba immediately calmed down and he looked at her with uncertainty as if he was waiting for the punch line. When it never came, his face flushed and he sat back down, embarrassed.

Nanami cleared her throat and changed the subject. "So, when do I get out of here?"

"I don't know, hopefully soon. There are some clothes over there for you, though." Kiba motioned to the bedside table where her clothes sat along with a vase of lilies.

"Like... underwear and everything?" She asked and then smirked at him. "Did you go through my drawers, you pervert?"

A trail of red traveled up Kiba's neck to his face. "O-of course not! Hinata brought them here!" He huffed and crossed his arms. "Can't you ever be serious?"

Nanami reached over and grabbed his arm. His arms came uncrossed and she slid her fingers down his skin and grabbed his hand in her own. Kiba felt himself get goosebumps and his arm hair stood on end.

Nanami giggled at him. "I'm just messing with you. I _seriously_ appreciate you being here with me. _Seriously._ " She squeezed his hand affectionately and then intertwined her fingers with his.

Kiba looked down at the motion and felt his heart pounding in his chest. What the hell was he supposed to say now? There was a slight pause, then he stammered, "Do-do you want me to go get the nurse? She can check on you and maybe tell you when you can get out of here."

"No, it's fine. I'd rather be alone with you for a while."

Kiba gulped and his stomach fluttered. What the hell was she doing to him? Why was this so different than the other times they were together? Before, when they were 'just friends' everything was easier and more natural, but now... this was new and so much hung in the air between them.

Nothing was said for a moment and silence filled the room. Kiba knew what he wanted to say or, really, what he wanted to ask about the moment they had. They had _kissed._ He told her that he loved her and she said it back. Did he imagine all that, because of the adrenaline and the near-death experience?

 _No, she said she loved me. I know it. I couldn't have been passed out yet to have dreamed that._

Kiba could practically feel the warm heat of her lips pressed against his and he longed for the sensation again. It was time to suck it up and push forward.

"Um..." Kiba cleared his throat and scratched at his cheek. "Do you... Do you remember what I said to you? Back there?" Kiba's eyes shifted. He was a little afraid to look directly at her when he asked.

Nanami blushed, remembering the moment he'd admitted his feelings to her as well as his rough hand clasped on the back her neck to bring her lips to his.

 _"Kiba, why? Why're you doing this? You can still make it!"_  
 _"Because I love you, baka!"_

She smiled and tenderly touched her fingers to her lips. "Ah. I remember."

Kiba eyes shifted back to her and he waited, wondering if she'd say more. When she didn't, he grew even more nervous, but he pushed forward despite a fang over fang being performed inside his own stomach. "Nanami."

"Hm?" Nanami lifted her head and looked back at him. He had such a serious, albeit nervous, expression on his face and was looking fully at her now, staring intently into her eyes. It was an expression that Nanami had never quite seen on him until now.

"I meant what I said to you back there. I mean... when I said that I love you. Did you mean it?"

Nanami looked down at her covers.

 _"Nanami... Why did you... You could have just run. W-why didn't you run?"_  
 _"Because I... I love you, baka."_

She turned her head away and Kiba immediately felt like his whole world was crashing down around him. Part of him had been worried that she only said it because she might die and he hung his head in defeat at his darkest suspicions becoming true. Kiba started to let go of her hand until he heard her speak up and she gripped his hand tighter.

"Of course, I meant it. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," Nanami muttered. Kiba's head shot up and he saw that she was looking at him with a smirk on her lips. "Baka."

For a beat, they simply stared at one another, letting the words hang in the air. Kiba soaked in the meaning of it all and the fluttering in his stomach started to cease. Now that her feelings were confirmed to him, his uncertainty was replaced with a strong and primal hunger for her.

Kiba smirked back. "Well, I guess you know what that means, right?"

Nanami cocked her eyebrow and looked at him quizzically. Kiba let go of her hand and immediately clasped her wrist in the same motion. He brought his other hand behind her head so his fingers ran through her silky hair that he'd longed to touch and brought her closer until her forehead rested against his. "You're mine now," he said then lightly touched his lips to hers before whispering, " _kitten_."

Kiba forcefully pressed their lips together and Nanami felt a shiver go up her spine. When did Kiba get so... confident? He always acted cocky, but in the kind of way that a child might in order to show off in front of his friends. Nanami knew that this was transparently different. He was sure of himself now, he knew what he wanted, and now that he had it, he was taking it full-force. Nanami kissed him back with everything she had, feeling all her repressed desire for him rise to the surface as their lips moved together.

The door creaked open and Kiba and Nanami froze for a split second before breaking apart the kiss. They looked towards the door, Kiba still holding on to her.

A silent Sakura, Sai, Hinata, Shino, Choji, Shikamaru, and Ino surrounded the doorway, no one quite sure what to say. After a few beats, the deafening silence was broken by Sakura and Ino loudly exclaiming at the same time, "I KNEW IT!"

Sakura held her palm out to Sai, "Pay up."

Sai sighed and dug into his pocket. "I didn't think Dog-Breath would have the guts to tell the Pussy how he felt." He put a few bills into her hand.

"Boy." Shikamaru sighed. "This is really awkward."

"Are we... interrupting something?" Shino asked.

"DON'T ANY OF YOU KNOW HOW TO KNOCK?!" Kiba yelled at them and let go of Nanami. "OF COURSE YOU'RE INTERRUPTING SOMETHING, LEARN HOW TO READ THE ROOM, KUSO!

Nanami, meanwhile, tried to compose herself. She felt lightheaded and heart was beating so fast she wondered if she needed to get a nurse.

"Wait, are you guys... together?" Choji asked.

Kiba and Nanami smiled at each other and blushed. Before they could use the moment to define their relationship, Sai interjected.

"According to the books I've read, when a man kisses a woman like that it means he intends to have a romantic relationship with her and they have deep feelings for one another." They all looked at Sai. "Or that he's horny and just wants to have sex with her, making them this thing called 'friends with benefits.'"

Sakura whacked Sai over the head. "Baka! Stop reading those creepy books of yours and making stuff weird all the time!"

"Thanks, guys," Nanami said. "I appreciate the awkward commentary, really. I'm touched."

"Uh, w-we're all just glad that you two are okay! You make a really cute couple," Hinata said, smiling at them sweetly. Out of everyone, she seemed to be the only one who was genuinely happy for them.

"So, you are a couple, right?" Ino said and put a hand on her hip. "Cause it's beyond tiring that you guys are pretending you're not super into each other."

Nanami and Kiba shared a stupid grin and Kiba reached over to grab her hand once again.

"Yeah," Kiba said. "We're a couple." He squeezed her hand and turned back to the group. "And not that we don't appreciate your company, but is there anything we can help you with? Nanami just woke up and we were kind of sharing a private moment."

"I'll say!" Ino replied. "You know, those hospital beds weren't intended to have sex on, right?"

"Actually," Sakura piped up, "Lady Tsunade is looking for you, Kiba. We've reported our side of the mission to her, but she's wanting a full report of yours and Nanami's battle with Sou now that you've been released from the hospital. She's, uh, mildly upset that you didn't yesterday."

Kiba sighed. "Alright. I'll head there in a few minutes."

"Okay." Sakura nodded. "Well, I guess we'll be back in a little bit to visit with you Nanami. We'll give you guys some privacy."

"Uh-huh," Ino said and wiggled her eyebrows. "We're going to need full disclosure on how you two hooked up."

Shikamaru sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Count me out on that. This is getting too weird."

Shino and Choji nodded in agreement and the entire group left the hospital room. When the door closed, Kiba sat on the hospital bed next to Nanami.

"Leave it to them to ruin the perfect moment," Kiba grumbled.

"At least you can count your blessings that Naruto wasn't here for it," Nanami replied.

They looked at each other and laughed softly.

"Well, I guess I better go report to the Hokage before she has my head on a stick. I'll come back here, okay? Maybe they'll let you go and I can walk you home." Kiba's eyes shifted to Akamaru and Aozora who were pretending not to be paying their owners any attention. "And maybe we can find a place to actually be alone?"

"I'd like that."

Kiba gently kissed her on the forehead, a stark contrast to the passionate battle their lips were having earlier.

"Come on, Akamaru."

The two left the room and Nanami rested herself back into the bed, grinning at the ceiling. In her whole life, Nanami knew that she'd never felt happier and more like herself than she did whenever he was around. As all those thoughts and sensations started to drift over her, she began to become consumed with the looming promise that soon she'd have to return to her home village and they'd be gearing up for a deadly war.


	15. Chapter 14

**Author note:** _Sorry it took forever to get this chapter out! My husband and I found out I'm pregnant so it's been a bit rough lately since I've been nauseous and tired all the time. I honestly just didn't feel like doing anything and couldn't will myself to work on this. Buuuuttttt this chapter gets a little steamy, so I hope that makes up for it! Obviously it's not going to be too graphic since this is rated T, but hopefully it'll still suffice. If you have any thoughts, let me know with a comment. Thanks! I'll try to get the next chapter out quicker. I'm hoping to wrap this story up in the next few chapters._

* * *

" _ **Two souls don't find each other by simple accident."**_

 **Chapter Fourteen**

Nanami forced her way to the door, barefoot and bleary-eyed when the incessant knocking refused to cease. As she opened the door, she unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn and brought a hand to face. A white light flashed against her closed eyelids and she blinked her eyes open, trying to clear her vision.

"What the hell?"

Kiba stood in her doorway holding a camera a smiling mischievously.

"Baka!" Nanami yelled at him and smoothed down her disheveled bed head. "You can't take photos of me looking like this! Didn't you take enough photos of us together yesterday?"

"Well, I need something to hold me over when..." Kiba sighed. He hated thinking about the inevitable moment she'd leave the village. "It's the middle of the day," he complained instead, letting the previous thought go to look her up and down. Nanami stood in front of him wearing nothing but a large white t-shirt, the bottom skimming her thighs. Kiba felt himself blush at the sight of her long legs and the little amount of coverage the cloth provided. He was pretty sure if she were to turn around and bend over... He gulped and turned his face away from her. "Were you still sleeping?"

"Just a little cat nap," Nanami grumbled.

Kiba rolled his eyes playfully and returned his gaze on her, desperately trying to keep it level on her face. "Please. You look your cutest when you've just woken up. Don't act like you don't know it."

Nanami shrugged. "It's a gift, I suppose."

Kiba smirked and walked into her apartment. The moment the door closed behind him, he grabbed Nanami by the waist, pulling her close to him. His thoughts swam as he felt the fabric of her shirt ride up a little. "I missed you, kitten."

Without giving her a chance to reply, Kiba pressed his lips against hers and relished in the way the sensation left him lightheaded. Their lips moved together and he seriously considered skirting all responsibilities to spend the rest of the day practicing the make out skills they'd already gotten so good at over the last few days. He groaned inwardly as he slowly pulled his lips from hers.

"I missed you too, baka," Nanami breathed, trying to catch her breath. She lifted onto her tip-toes and kissed him lightly on the nose before turning around and making her way into the bedroom.

Kiba watched her walk away and let out a pained groan. He wanted to throw caution to the wind and say responsibilities be damned. Their day would be much more fun if he could do what he'd been picturing in his headfor quite some time now _._ He followed Nanami, forcing himself to stop just outside the door.

"Shouldn't I get a different nickname now?" he said, trying to make conversation as he stamped down the thoughts of what she was doing with only a door between them.

"Aww!" he heard her say through the closed door. "But baka suits you so well!"

Kiba groaned. "But you're my girlfriend now. You could call me something different."

"Like what?" Nanami asked, opening her bedroom door and making her way back into the living room as she ran a brush through her long silver hair.

Kiba followed behind her. "Well, I was thinking of something manly and sexy. You know, like, you could call me 'master.'"

Nanami snorted out a laugh as she tossed the hairbrush on the couch and slipped on her sandals. "You're dreaming if you think I'd _ever_ call you that." She opened the front door and called out a farewell to Aozora who barely lifted her head in acknowledgment.

"Well, what do you have in mind?" Kiba asked as they walked through the village to get food.

"Maybe I'll call you puppy," Nanami said and reached over to pinch Kiba's cheek.

"You can't call me that!" he protested and rubbed the sore spot she'd pinched.

"Why not? You call me kitten."

"Yeah, but that's different. Admit it, you think it's hot. But _puppy?"_ Kiba's face scrunched up in discomfort. "It sounds weak. Like I'm a baby. I don't know, it's just different."

"You can forget about me calling you master. It's never going to happen."

"What about beast?" Kiba said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Nanami took his hand in hers and intertwined their fingers together. "I think there are a few more things I have to learn about you before I can start calling you that."

Silence filled the air and Nanami felt her face heat.

 _I can't believe I just said that. What the hell is wrong with me?_

Nanami peaked up at Kiba and saw his face was bright red as well, but a cocky grin was plastered on his features.

He cleared his throat, trying to calm the fluttering in his stomach and regain the confident composure he often tried to air. "I think that can be arranged."

* * *

Nanami and Kiba made their way to the Hokage's office after being summoned to speak with Lady Tsunade. Nanami's thoughts swam over what it could be about and although she hoped it had to do with a mission or some other duties that would keep her in the Leaf Village, a sinking feeling in her stomach told her otherwise. Nanami dropped Kiba's hand and opened the door. When they walked in to find a grey cat lazing on the Hokage's desk, Nanami knew her suspicions were confirmed.

"Well, well, well, Lady N," the small cat purred as it stood and stretched on the desk. Lady Tsunade's eye twitched and she glared at the grey feline.

"Hello, Kemuri," Nanami replied, nodding her head politely.

"Your father and I heard that you were a key component in your mission to aid the Leaf Village and helped take down Sou. As he expected. Well done."

"Arigato."

"Kemuri was summoned here by your father," Lady Tsunade said. "It seems that you are to return to your village now that you've completed your mission successfully. We appreciate all the help you've provided."

"I see." Nanami tried to mask the disappointed look on her face for the neutral expression that was expected of the heiress of the Nekoyama clan. She bowed to the Hokage. "I'm happy to assist."

"Hold on a minute!" Kiba yelled out. "But we're so close to the war! Can't she just stay with us until then? What's the point of her going back now?"

"Kiba!" Lady Tsunade shouted back, successfully able to scold him just by using his name. "Absolutely not. Just as your allegiance is sworn to the Leaf, Nanami has an obligation to the Hidden Mist, as well as her clan."

Kemuri turned his head to regard Kiba as if he hadn't noticed the boy standing beside Nanami until now. His hair stood and back arched.

"You're a mutt from the Inuzuka clan. Lady N, I would have suspected you'd keep better company. Your father won't be happy to hear about this."

Nanami didn't reply and kept her neutral expression, but the eye roll she was suppressing was almost painful.

"Nanami is with Kiba because I assigned them to work together. They were under my orders." The Hokage stared the cat down, daring him to challenge her authority.

"I understand they're less than desirable circumstances, Kemuri," Nanami said. "But wouldn't you agree that with us so close to war, that finding some semblance of peace and a way to work together – even if momentarily – is of the utmost importance?"

Kiba furrowed his brow as he looked over at her. Nanami never spoke like this. It felt so formal and insincere. It reminded him of the kind of unemotional grace she tried to air the day he'd first met her in this very office.

Kemuri tsked. "Fine. I'll accept your excuse, Lady N. But don't think for a second that your father would be as tolerant to see you standing that close to an Inuzuka boy. It seems to me that you two appear to be closer than you're letting on. More like friends than temporary comrades."

Nanami shifted away from Kiba on impulse and immediately regretted it. She could practically feel Kiba's disappointment radiating off of him, but it seemed he was choosing to take out his frustrations out on Kemuri.

"You guys should be so lucky!" he yelled, pointing his finger at the feline. "I'd like to see a war where you could manage without us. You'd run off with your tail tucked between your legs!"

"We've managed without your kind for centuries. Your presence would be nothing more than an annoyance."

"Enough!" Lady Tsunade shouted, obviously resisting the urge to slam her fist on her desk and Nanami fleetingly wondered how often it needed replacing. "We're preparing for war and you're acting like children! I hope more teamwork and tolerance will be used on the battlefield when there are lives at stake."

Kemuri wasn't often one to be intimidated. In fact, he was often a smug little tattle-tail who was quick to run to Nanami's father as his number one confidant. However, with the threat of Lady Tsunade's fist looming over him, he quickly jumped off her desk to avoid any crossfire.

"Of course," the feline nodded, trying to regain his composure. "The Nekoyama clan knows how to get the job done, no matter the circumstances." He turned to regard Nanami. "Your father expects you to head home at the earliest date. I understand you've sustained some serious injuries. The moment you are healthy enough for travel, you're to return."

"Understood. I look forward to seeing him."

Kemuri smirked. "And I'm sure he's looking forward to... hearing about your time and endeavors here," he said, never taking his eyes off of Kiba.

* * *

Kiba walked Nanami back to her temporary apartment in silence. She tried desperately to find the right words, but the truth was that her own mind was a mess of jumbled emotions. She wasn't even sure where to start.

"So, is that it?" Kiba finally said, quietly.

"W-what do you mean?"

He looked at her as they were nearing her place. "For us. Your father's rat shows up and you're back to being cold and distant?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nanami lied.

Kiba scoffed. "Please. You were acting all stuffy and fake, just like you did when you first showed up here."

Anger stirred around in her stomach and Nanami felt herself getting defensive, despite knowing there was truth in his words. "What did you want me to say!?" Nanami took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down as she opened the door to her apartment. When they walked in, she ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "You're not wrong about Kemuri. He is a rat. He's been keeping me in line for my father ever since I was little. One wrong move and he's off to tell my father that I'm not acting like a proper heiress."

"But that's what I'm talking about! When I told you that I loved you, I didn't think this was going to be some kind of temporary thing between us."

"Kiba..." Nanami began softly, "I don't want that either. But you know I have to leave."

"I know... But what does that mean for us? Are you going to tell your father about us?"

"It's not that easy. I mean, have you told your mother?"

"I did."

Nanami was startled. She'd only met Tsume once, but that lady was frightening. "You did? Well, what'd she say?"

"She said, and I quote, 'You're a fool and so is she.' Which is basically the closest my mother will ever come to giving me her blessing with anyone." When Nanami still looked doubtful, Kiba continued. "I told her what you did. That you saved me."

"I don't think it's going to go over quite as well with my father, unfortunately."

"But you'll tell him? This thing with us... it's not going to end?"

"I'll tell him. I promise."

Kiba took her hands in his and looked into her silver eyes. "When am I going to see you again?"

Nanami opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. The look on his face said it all. They both knew that the next time they saw each other, it'd be on the battlefield for war.

Kiba couldn't stand the thought that right when he'd found the girl he loved more than he'd ever thought possible, there would be a possibility of losing her. He'd almost lost her once after waiting too long to tell her how he felt. He knew without a doubt that there was no one else out there he'd ever feel this way for considering it was a miracle Kiba had ever gotten to know her in the first place. If Nanami hadn't been sent to the Leaf village, he would have most definitely overlooked her on the battlefield as nothing more than an annoyance to his clan. The fate of it all slightly frightened him. Despite the differences in their clans, she was absolutely perfect for him.

"Nanami... I don't." Kiba bit his lip. "I-I don't want to live or die with any regrets."

Kiba gave her that serious look that she rarely saw on his face. The one completely lacking in cockiness or showboating. Nanami furrowed her brow, trying to read the meaning in his words and when it finally clicked, her stomach flipped. As it often was in their relationship, when he got serious, she got a little nervous and sarcastic.

"Are you telling me that you don't want to die a virgin?"

Kiba frowned as his face turned as red as the markings on his cheeks. "Damnit, Nanami!" He scoffed and looked away from her, embarrassed. "I wouldn't have worded it like that. I'm trying to be romantic here."

Nanami smiled softly and put her hand against his cheek, turning his face back towards hers. "I'm not gonna die, okay? And neither are you. Got it?"

Kiba smiled back at her. "I'll protect you. I promise. I'll train and do whatever I can to be strong enough to protect you."

Nanami shook her head. "Don't say that. We don't even know if we'll be stationed near each other during the fighting. Our duty is to take down the enemy."

"I know. But if I am near you, I still wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"I understand. You're right. I wouldn't let anything happen to you either."

Nanami heard Aozora padding towards them. She opened her mouth to greet her ninneko, but the cat walked right past them and through the little cat door leading outside. The intention was pretty clear: I'm giving you two time alone.

Nanami felt her own face getting red and her eyes shifted back towards Kiba. He stared down at her with intensity and something like passionate hunger. She struggled for something to say because it was becoming clear exactly what was about to happen between them. It wasn't that she didn't want it. In fact, she wanted him so badly that her hands began to shake in anticipation and her heart pounded in her ears. However, this was all new territory and she wasn't sure where to go-

Kiba's lips came crashing down on hers and he pulled her body tight against his until there was no room between them. Nanami gasped against his lips and Kiba took it as an opportunity to lick her bottom lip and brush his tongue against hers. Despite her shock, Nanami's body quickly took over, instincts kicking in, and she ran her fingers through his hair, gripping his locks.

His hands slipped underneath her shirt, Nanami's skin hot against the fingertips that trailed up her spine. Kiba took a step forward, inching her back towards the bedroom without ever ceasing his exploration of her mouth. Once they reached her room, Nanami shifted and pushed Kiba onto her bed. He looked up at her, surprised, but she simply stood over him with tousled silver locks and a flushed expression.

After a moment, Nanami crisscrossed her arms over the bottom of her shirt and lifted it over her head. Kiba stared in wonder, taking in her beauty and trying to memorize every detail as she unhooked her bra and continued to undress in front of him. Once she'd discarded all her clothing, Nanami stood in front of him, fair and breathtaking. Kiba found himself at a loss for words, probably for the first time in his life.

Nanami blushed as she climbed on top of him. "Well?" she asked. "Is this okay?"

"You're..." Kiba touched her stomach and his fingers slowly trailed up her body. "You're perfect."

Nanami closed her eyes and a moan escaped her lips. The sounds of it made Kiba growl and he flipped her over on the bed and discarded his own shirt.

Kiba leaned down and planted a kiss against her neck. "I love you, Nanami," he said, breathing the words against her skin. He continued to kiss and suck on her neck, slowly trailing down her body towards her chest.

Nanami moaned again, every single touch sending new waves of pleasure throughout her body. "I love you too, Kiba."


	16. Chapter 15

_Author note: Hey, I'm sooooo sorry that this chapter took forever to get out. Things got kind of crazy when I got pregnant and became a first time mom. Life just became more important and this story was put on the back burner. BUT, I've got fresh ideas and I'm eager to finish this story. It should be completed in a few chapters. Thank you to every one who followed the story! I appreciate the support and I hope to end the waiting you guys have been doing. (I don't own Naruto.) Enjoy!_

* * *

" _ **I exist in two places, here and where you are."**_

 **Chapter Fifteen**

Nanami walked into her bedroom with a towel wrapped around her body and wet silver hair sticking to her shoulders. Her body felt sore and exhausted after a long day of training and, although the bath was much needed, all she wanted to do now was rest her sore muscles. She flopped onto her bed, not even caring if she got her cover and sheets wet.

She had been back in the Hidden Mist Village for several weeks now and the war was right around the corner. Any moment now, all of the villages would be huddled together to take on an endeavor that would leave thousands of ninjas dead and many more people devastated. Nanami's father had her on a strict training schedule and it had successfully helped keep her dark thoughts at bay. However, the rest of the day allowed for nothing but worry.

 _And then I'll see him again... And maybe lose him._

Before Nanami could dwell anymore on these brooding thoughts, Aozora mewed next to her then a soft tapping at her window jolted her from the dark corners of her mind. She removed the arm covering her eyes and saw a small bird fluttering outside of her bedroom window. A wide grin stretched across her features and Nanami hurriedly jumped up to open the window and removed the letter tied around the bird's foot. As soon as she removed the note, the bird flew to the bird feeder a few feet away.

Nanami softly latched the window shut and stood still for a few moments, listening for her father. When she sensed he wouldn't be intruding in her room to catch her reading the love letters she and Kiba had been exchanging back and forth, Nanami sat on her bed and unfolded the note. Aozora lightly sniffed it and began to purr.

 _Hey Kitten,_

 _Howya doin'? God, the village has been SO dull since you left. There's no one fun to hang out or train with anymore (although training with you was kind of distraction sometimes). Speaking of training, that's all I've been doing. I've gotten pretty strong! Not that I wasn't already because obviously I am, but I think I could take you down this time. I'm calling for a rematch ASAP. I'm also calling for another kind of rematch somewhere else if you catch my drift... Maybe I'll finally earn that new nickname, eh?_

 _I miss you, kitten. Days have started to feel like years without you around. I can't wait to see you again, but I wish it were under better circumstances._

At the end of the letter, Kiba added almost hesitantly, _P.S._ _Have you told your dad about us yet?_

Nanami sighed. She'd been waiting for this question to pop up in one of Kiba's letters and she supposed she couldn't put it off anymore. Honestly, Nanami was trying to wait until the very last minute to tell her father about her and Kiba's relationship. When Nanami first returned to her village, the Inuzuka clan was brought up by her father, because of Kemuri's big ratty mouth.

She knew that the exchange involving the grey feline in the Hokage's office would be immediately divulged to her father. Nanami had considered telling her father right then and there, but she'd always been a coward when it came to him. The thought of telling him was more frightening to her than any enemy battle. It didn't matter how long Nanami thought out what she said or how carefully the words were crafted, her father would never accept an Inuzuka boy. The first conversation they had involving Kiba had already been bad enough. Nanami's thoughts drifted to that moment.

 _Father sat at the table, his body poured over what Nanami suspected were important documents. She softly closed the door to their home, she and Aozora finally home after their journey from the Leaf Village. Although her father didn't lift his head to even acknowledge her presence after the long trip away, Kemuri, who was lounging by Father's feet, opened his eyes and visibly smirked at her. Nanami felt Aozora tense next to her._

" _Hello, Father," she greeted and bowed._

 _Father kept his head low over the documents, but his eyes slowly shifted up towards her, then back down as he shuffled the papers. "Welcome back."_

 _Nanami stood in place, not saying anything to him and unsure how to proceed. After a long moment of silence, her father finally spoke to her again._

" _I know Kemuri already passed on my congratulations to you, but I suppose I should also pass it on myself. Well done, Nanami. You've proven that not only is the Hidden Mist essential in this war, but the Nekoyama clan as well."_

" _Thank you, father," Nanami said, heart fluttering at receiving a rare moment of praise from him. "I was happy to be of assistance to our village and clan."_

 _As their conversations were often short, she took a few steps towards her bedroom so she could put up her pack until her father's voice halted her._

" _I also heard you made some... friends while you were there."_

 _She turned her head back towards Father whose eyes were still downcast over his documents. Kemuri was sat up now, seemingly looking forward to what she suspected was going to be a humiliating scolding._

 _Nanami thought out her words before replying, "Possibly allies for the upcoming war would be a more appropriate phrasing." She knew that if Kiba were there, her words would have cut him and she tried to keep her guilt at bay._

 _Father sat the documents down carefully and looked at her, folding his hands in front of him. "Is that all?"_

 _Nanami knew she could either tell Father about her relationship with Kiba now or lie to him. Either way, if her relationship with Kiba was going to continue, he'd have to find out eventually. As she tried to formulate a plan, her father decided to continue, not giving her a chance to reply._

" _Kemuri tells me you were hanging out with an Inuzuka boy."_

 _Nanami cast a glare at the cat. "Did he also tell you I was assigned to work with him under the orders of the Hokage?"_

" _That was for the mission," Father snapped back. "He tells me that the two of you showed up at the Hokage's office together. Clearly, the comradery continued well after the mission was over."_

 _Nanami paused, unsure of how to continue. "I mean, I did get to know him a little, and Kiba is actually a very fine nin-"_

 _Father violently flipped the table and all the documents went flying through the air as a result. Nanami flinched and Aozora fought the urge to transform into her battle-ready state. It was rare to see her father lose his temper. He often preached the importance of keeping dignified grace. Apparently, that was only in the presence of others and when it had nothing to do with the Inuzuka clan._

" _You of all people should know better!" he shouted. Her father took a breath and regained himself, but his words still dripped with pure hatred. "Kiba. Is that not Tsume's boy?"_

" _...Yes, father."_

 _His fists clenched tighter in anger. "Mark my words, Nanami: they are not a clan worthy of our time or trust. It seems we called you back to the village just in time." Father put the table back in place and began to collect his papers. "Leave, child. Tomorrow a new training regimen begins. We'll need you ready for the war. It seems your intellect needs sharpening as well."_

And now the moment had finally come. Nanami knew she couldn't write back to Kiba without telling her father first. She could easily lie and tell Kiba she'd told her father and he disowned her as a daughter because that's inevitably what would happen, but lying to Kiba didn't sit right with her. Aozora lightly licked Nanami's palm, sensing her owner's discomfort.

Nanami sighed and kneeled by her bed to pull out the small box tucked underneath. She slid the note among the rest of the letters they had exchanged over the weeks.

 _I'll tell father tomorrow,_ she thought. _Tomorrow, for sure._

* * *

Kemuri eyed the silver-haired kunoichi as she and her ninja cat walked out the front door, whether to wander the village or to wreak havoc, he wasn't sure. The small cat narrowed his eyes as he thought that she most likely caused trouble wherever she went. Kemuri stood up next to his master and stretched his limbs before sauntering away. The clan leader had hardly acknowledged Nanami as she left and Kemuri smirked at the victory. He'd clearly been successful in exposing that useless excuse of a ninja for who she really was.

As the grey cat took his leisurely stroll, he padded past Nanami's bedroom door then halted. He swiveled his head and looked at the door that stood slightly ajar, tempting him to come inside. Kemuri looked around to make sure the act he was about to commit wouldn't be noticed before he softly padded his way to the door.

He edged the door open more with his nose and walked to the middle of the room, looking around. It was as it normally appeared, clean and kept without much to say in the way of décor. The Nekoyama household always kept their home impeccable and professional. Kemuri's whiskers twitched in annoyance, somewhat upset that she didn't keep her room in the same state that she kept her brain. He was sure there would be something to run to the clan leader about.

Kemuri jumped onto the bed and kneaded at the light blue comforter, pulling threads. As he settled down, he caught a faint whiff of... Kemuri sniffed harder to confirm the scent. There was no mistaking it. _Ugly, disgusting, mutt._

The feline jumped from the bed and padded around it, nose twitching, until he finally reached the spot the scent was coming from. Kemuri poked his head underneath the bed and saw a small box resting alone. After pawing the box until it was out in the open, the feline flicked the top off with his paw to reveal the scraps of paper inside. He frowned and grabbed one with his teeth and laid it on the floor, smoothing the paper flat with his paws.

 _Hey Kitten,_

 _The days are so long and boring without you around. Even training can't preoccupy my mind anymore. I keep walking past the dock and thinking about you. My mom's yelling at me, accusing me of being lovesick. Maybe she's right, but the truth is that I just miss you. It's weird, but I think Akamaru misses Aozora too. But he'd never admit it._

 _Anytime I catch a whiff of lilies, I expect to turn around and see you. Do you remember that first day we met and you asked me what you smelled like? I lied when I said that you smelled bad. The truth is, you smell exactly like lilies and ocean water. It's become my favorite scent on this earth now. I feel bad for saying this, but I'm almost ready for the war just so I can hold you and breathe in that smell again._

 _I know, I suck for saying that. I'll cheer up once I receive a note from you again. I'll be able to read your words and get a fresh whiff of your scent again._

 _Kiba._

With every word that Kemuri read, he was split between vomiting in disgust and laughing out loud in glee. This was so much better than he could have ever imagined! While the feline wanted desperately to read more, he instead plunked the letter back into the box and rushed out the door towards the clan leader. Better to show him now before that stupid girl could return home and get rid of the evidence.

* * *

Nanami and Aozora returned and immediately felt something shift in the air. The hairs on her neck stood up as her sixth sense told her something was very, very wrong. She quickly walked towards her bedroom, Aozora trailing closely behind, each step feeling more fatal than the last. As Nanami reached the room, her brain first registered the door that stood wide open.

 _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit..._

Nanami stood frozen, too scared to enter the doorway. After a few moments that felt like hours, she finally took those few fatal steps. When her bedroom came into view, she was met with the aftermath of what looked like a tornado and her blood ran cold. Drawers were pulled out of dressers, her mattress was ripped open and flipped, and clothes were scattered around the room. It was a stark contrast to the pristine house she had just walked through to get there.

Although already knowing she wasn't going to find it, Nanami scurried around the room, searching for the box that had been under the mattress than was now completely out of place.

"Looking for this?"

The voice that penetrated her ears was like liquid venom. It was a jutsu of its own, making her knees buckle and her world tilt on its axis. Nanami slowly turned around and saw Father holding her box. Her precious box that held the words straight from Kiba's heart. Nanami's mind flickered to the words she knew her father had read from him. In a normal father-daughter relationship, she would have been angry at her privacy being invaded and embarrassed at the fact that her father had read her love letters. Instead, she was terrified.

"It's...I...It's not-"

"Oh, please do explain. It's not what I think? Then, tell me, how do you explain this?" Father reached into the box and pulled out a letter. " _Dear Kitten, these past few days that you've been gone, I've sat in your empty apartment thinking about the nights that we spent here together. I wish we could repeat it all over again, just so I can spend more time with you. I wanna go back to the time when you first told me your name."_

Kemuri appeared from behind Father. "Ooh, ooh! Read the one where he describes how her hair looks like moonlight. That's a good one."

The little rat snickered and Nanami lunged at him, rage overcoming fear. Father stepped in front of the feline and with one flick of his hand, he hit a pressure point on her neck, sending her crumbling to the floor in pain. In a flash of blue flame, Aozora turned into her battle-ready form out of instinct.

"How DARE you attack a comrade for your own incompetence!" Father's expression mirrored the rage Nanami felt inside, only his was amplified beyond heights she'd never seen before. She'd always known it lingered beneath the surface, but this was the first time she'd experienced its depth.

Kemuri leapt in front of Father, in between him and Aozora. "I'd think twice before attacking a clan leader, unless you'd like to be hung by your tail."

In one swift action, Father grabbed Nanami by her collar and lifted her off the ground, feet dangling inches from the floor. "YOU FOOLISH, STUPID GIRL," he spat. "What else are you hiding? I should eliminate you from the clan for this kind of behavior!"

"You don't understand!" she said frantically, trying to search the contents of her brain for the words, any words, that might make him understand how she felt inside.

"I understand perfectly what's going on here. I should've known better to even allow you out of this village. It's becoming clear to me that in the state you're in now, you don't have the qualifications it takes to be Mizukage or to lead this clan."

"I-"

Father cut off her excuse by dragging her by her collar towards the kitchen. He released her so hard she nearly fell to the ground. Aozora quickly came to Nanami's side, checking to make sure her owner was alright. Then, Father chunked his daughter's letters into the garbage bin before reaching into his pocket to pull out a box of matches.

"Please, Father, don't do that!" She hurried to her feet and dashed towards the garbage bin, but he pushed her back.

"What purpose could you possibly have for hanging on to these heinous letters? He's an Inuzuka boy, Nanami. A mutt. He's Tsume's son, at that. Do you understand the kind of people they are? The kind of shame that casts on your clan! Have you any idea the amount of clan members who have died due to their claws?!"

"He's not like that, that has nothing to do with him!" she said, summoning up every bit of courage that stirred in her stomach. "All that's in the past! And he's not a mutt. His name is Kiba and he loves me. And I... I love-"

Nanami's words were cut off by the stinging slap across her face. It was so hard that her vision blurred and she felt the sting of cuts that his claws had made. The slap stunned her into silence. She kept her face turned away and listened to Father's heavy breathing. Then, after a few moments, she heard the match strike the strip on the box.

She felt the heat that radiated from all the pretty words Kiba had written to her. Words that kept the memory alive of the first time she'd ever had a friend, the first time she could remember truly being happy, vulnerable, and alive. Nanami couldn't bear to watch those words turn to ash.

Kemuri chuckled wickedly at her pain from behind her. Aozora licked at her wound.

Nanami's very soul felt crushed.

 _How could I have ever thought this was going to work? Why did I ever allow myself to get close to him? Being from separate villages and clans, we were destined for failure from the start._

"You have a duty here, Nanami. As my daughter, I will not fail as a parent by allowing you to forget that."


	17. Chapter 16

_Attn:You guys should be seeing the chapters go out faster now. I can feel the end reaching in this story and I'm excited to finish, finally! I have them planned out already for the most part. If you're enjoying this story, I'd love for you to let me know with a review :) Also, I obviously don't own Naruto or any of the characters other than the OCs of the Nekoyama clan._

* * *

" _ **I never thought I'd find comfort in a voice."**_

 **CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Nanami had nearly come to terms that she and Kiba were a failed relationship. But as she lay awake that night on her shredded mattress thinking of the pure happiness she'd experienced during her time with the Leaf, Nanami felt her resolve slowly grow. Here with her father, she'd never experience that kind of happiness again.

The life Father wanted for her, as clan leader and Mizukage, wasn't the life she wanted. And Nanami knew now more than ever that Father would never see her side. He'd never accept the kind of life she wanted and what made her happy. There was no way his own daughter could ever please him and no way that she'd ever be pleased herself.

As Nanami mulled over this, she grew sad, wondering, _Did Mother really want her revenge so badly, or was Father the one who pushed that path on her?_

But there was also one thing Nanami realized without a doubt now: when it came to the Inuzuka's, all inhibition with her father was out the window. Father would surely kill his daughter before he let any perceived shame befall his clan. For now, and up until the war, Nanami needed to play along with his will.

With her plan in mind, Nanami searched the room for something, anything, to write on. Father had taken away all of her writing utensils, papers, notebooks, and her carrier bird. She grabbed a book from her bedside table and gently ripped out a sheet, careful not to make too much noise. Then, she bit her finger until a small pool of blood formed and began to write as cleanly as she could over the typed words.

 _Kiba,_

 _I told Father and it didn't go well. Please don't write back. Don't worry, I promise that I'm fine and I'll see you soon._

 _I love you,_

 _Nanami._

"Aozora," Nanami whispered, calling the cat to her.

The feline gingerly stepped towards her, ears and tail down. Her poor companion felt guilty for not helping when her father attacked her. While Aozora knew better than to challenge Father, she also felt a deep loyalty for her owner.

Nanami stroked the top of her head to reassure her. "It's okay, girl. Here." She handed the note to the ninja cat. "Take this note and find a carrier bird to take it to Kiba. Do it quickly. Five minutes tops, k?"

Aozora nodded with a determined expression and her small form slipped out the window, into the night.

* * *

An unfamiliar bird tapped its beak against Kiba's window and he went to open it. The ninja hound user slid the window open and took the parchment that the bird carried messily in its beak. He unfolded the torn scrap of paper and felt his stomach drop at the sight of blood.

The message was short and cryptic, asking him not to worry, but how could he not? His mind was a jumble of thoughts, unable to sort themselves out properly. Akamaru sniffed the note and let out a low growl from his belly.

"I know, buddy. I'm worried too." Kiba replied.

 _Why was the message written in blood? Was Nanami hurt? Did her father go so far as to do something to her? Where was she? And now that her father knew, what did that mean for their relationship?_

His stomach had fallen into a pit of despair and it took everything inside of him to resist rushing out of the Konoha gates. Less than a week and he would see her again anyway. No matter how desperately her father wanted to keep them apart, he couldn't keep Nanami away from the war. Every ninja was needed and she was sure to be there.

Kiba opened his photo album on his bedside table and pulled out one of her letters, mulling over past words she'd written since he knew that he wouldn't be receiving anymore.

 _Dear Kiba,_

 _When I first arrived at Konoha, I wanted nothing more than to return home. Now home means something different to me and I want nothing more than to be next to you. I guess sometimes home can be another person. It's almost funny how this all played out, no? We're from two different villages and two rival clans. We may have never met if I hadn't been sent on that mission and assigned to your team. I'm starting to believe that two souls don't find each other by simple accident._

 _This clan, this village, it doesn't feel right to me anymore. It's like I exist in two places, here and where you are._

 _With love,_

 _Nanami._

* * *

Father kept Nanami in his sight at all times and had been training her harder than ever before. When they arrived at the war meeting point, he still kept her on a tight leash as long as humanly possible. Nanami played along for the time being, but now that the war was beginning, she knew he couldn't keep her in his reins for long. Not only would he not want to make a public scene, but once the war began, he wouldn't be able to keep a close watch over her.

It didn't take long for the separation to start. Nanami grabbed her shinobi headband and when she turned around, her keen eyesight caught a familiar form between the thousands of bodies several feet away. The back of his brown head bobbed as he talked to someone in the front of him. Nanami shifted for a better angle a noticed his older sister Hana with him and Akamaru standing faithfully by his side.

A wide grin stretched across Nanami's face and, without a second thought, she dashed towards him. Aozora quickly followed after her.

Kiba had tried to pretend that he wasn't looking everywhere for the one face he'd been dying to see. But there were so many faces to sift through, as every shinobi from every land was here for this one war. Unfortunately, there was one person he couldn't hide his true feelings from: his sister.

"You know, you don't have to hide it from me," Hana said as if reading his mind. "You're practically breaking your neck just to find her! I swear you have to be the only person here who was actually excited to come to this war."

"OUR ENEMIES WILL BE CRUSHED BENEATH OUR FEET AS OUR FIREY YOUTH TAKES THE BATTLEFIELD BY STORM!"

"YES! WISE WORDS GUY SENSEI!"

Kiba's eyebrow twitched in annoyance and he laughed to his sister, "Yeah, I highly doubt that."

"Kiba!"

Kiba's heart fluttered at the sound of the familiar voice and his head whipped around to catch sight of her. Shiny silver locks splayed out behind the ethereal form that sprinted towards him and he caught the beauty in his arms, spinning her around.

Nanami giggled and buried her head into Kiba's neck as he pulled her into a close embrace, breathing in the comforting scent of lilies and ocean water.

Hana sighed in contempt, pleased to see the evident happiness on her brother's face. Sakura and Ino made teasing "ooohhh" noises in the background as the rest of his teammates looked on, but he ignored all of them.

When Nanami looked up, Kiba rested his forehead against hers and sighed in satisfaction.

"Kitten," he breathed.

After a few moments, celebrating their reunion, he finally pulled back to study her face. She had three claw marks on her cheek that were in the process of healing.

Kiba ran his thumb gently over them and asked, "Your father?"

Nanami nodded her head and replied, "Yes. I'm sorry if you worried, but I had to play along to be safe." Nanami lowered her voice. "He's never going to accept us, Kiba. But I'm past the point of caring now that you're here with me."

Kiba furrowed his brow. "What do you mean by that? How's this going to work without his approval? He could try to keep us apart."

Nanami's face looked very serious and she stayed quiet for a few moments, choosing her words carefully. She leaned in and kept her voice low to avoid being heard. "Something will work out. I'd run away and become a missing-nin before I'd let him keep us apart."

The hound ninja user started at the statement in surprise. Was she serious? Kiba pulled back to look at the determined expression painted on Nanami's face.

"Nanami, you can't say things like that."

She sighed. "I know. I'm just saying that I'm not going to let him keep us apart anymore."

Kiba smoothed his hand over her hair and smiled. "Same here, Kitten."

He tilted his head towards her and she mirrored his action, allowing him to kiss her gently but passionately. Right as Kiba was able to do what he'd been dreaming about for weeks, he felt the woman he loved pulled back forcefully from him.

"HOW DARE YOU!" An enraged male voice boomed at him.

Kiba opened his eyes to see a large silver-haired man standing in front of Nanami. He had a frightening and commanding presence that didn't ask for attention, it demanded it. It was obvious now why this man had a hold over Nanami for so long.

The man grabbed Kiba around the neck, nails piercing skin much as Nanami had to Naruto on that first day she arrived in the village.

"Father, no!" Nanami yelled. She was so sure that Father wouldn't make a scene, but as she looked around to see who was watching the argument unfold, Nanami realized their group wasn't the only one making a spectacle. Many ninjas from different villages were bickering with one enough, comradery the farthest thing from their minds.

Akamaru lunged forward, teeth bared, to protect his owner until a voice halted him in his tracks.

"Let him go, Ikari!"

Tsume appeared from behind Kiba, giving Nanami's father - _Ikari? -_ a menacing look.

"Tsume." Ikari smiled at her, but it was anything but friendly. He released Kiba from his grip. "Maybe you should keep a rein on your boy before something," he cast Kiba a scowl, "awful happens to him."

"I think my boy is perfectly fine for once in his life." Tsume leaned over and cast Nanami a smirk. "Hey Nanami, dear, how are you?"

Even though she hated herself for it, Nanami shrank back a bit. Kiba knew it was completely out of character for his mom to say something like that, but it was clear that Tsume was only trying to get under Ikari's skin. And it worked.

"Your kind needs to stay _far_ away from my family if you know what's good for you," Ikari warned. "Mark my words, Tsume, you don't want to fight me again."

Tsume laughed out loud. "Ha! Trust me, Ikari, it's you who doesn't want to fight me. I'm itching for a fight."

"Are you sure you're not just itching from fleas?" he retorted.

At this point, the two clan leaders had begun circling one another, eye contact never faltering. Nanami took a deep breath of courage and stepped between them, facing her father.

"Step aside, Nanami."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Father's tone dared her to say it again.

Nanami planted her footing. "I said no."

Backing up her newfound owner's resolve, Aozora moved to stand next to her owner with pride.

Kiba smiled at the brave, fierce shinobi in front of him. Considering the reins Ikari had on Nanami, this was a major milestone for her. Taking a few quick steps, Kiba also placed himself between his mom and Ikari and took hold of Nanami's hand. He squeezed it, sending an extra dose of courage her way. Akamaru took up his other side.

Ikari gritted his teeth and as he opened his mouth for a retort, the Kazekage spoke to the gathering of shinobi, cutting the silver-haired man off.

"Three times now," Gaara began, "we've fought world wars for our own nations, our own villages. We've hurt one another. We've hated one another. That hatred bred a lust for power, and that lust for power created me. I was a Jinchuriki, the embodiment of hatred and power. And I hated this world and all the people in it. I wanted to destroy it with my own hands. The exact same thing Akatsuki is trying to do today. But one man, one ninja from Konohagakure stopped me... I was his enemy, yet he wept for me! I hurt him, yet he called me his friend! He saved me! My enemy, my fellow Jinchuriki... He suffered the same pain as me, yet bore no ill will! There are no enemies here because we've all suffered at Akatsuki's hand! So there is no Suna, no Iwa, no Konoha, no Kiri, and no Kumo! There are only 'shinobi!' And if you still hold a grudge against Suna, when this war is over, come and take my head instead! Our enemies are after the friend who saved my life! If they take him, if we hand him over, our world is finished! I want to protect him! I want to protect our world! But I'm too young to protect it all on my own! All of you, lend me your aid! Everyone who's with me, let's go!"

A chorus of cheers erupted from the large gathering of shinobi as everyone became motivated and enlightened by the Kazekage's words. All but one, it seemed.

Ikari scoffed and muttered, "What foolish nonsense." He turned towards Nanami. "You're an embarrassment to our clan and a failure as a daughter. Maybe you'll do your village a service by dying in this war. And if not," he glowered at her, narrowing his eyes, "you'll regret your actions here today, wishing that you had died."

His words were a slap in the face and her breath caught in her throat. Nanami was too stunned to reply. She'd always experienced his disappointment, but never with such blatant ferocity. With those final words, he turned to leave as the shinobi from varying villages apologized and embraced one another.

Tsume came from behind Nanami and placed a hand on her shoulder in a surprising act of kindness. "You're not your father," Tsume said to her. "I know that now. And you have a place with us."

Kiba squeezed Nanmi's hand and said, "Always."


	18. Chapter 17

" _ **Hope begins in the dark."**_

 **CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Nanami was placed in the same team as Kiba and, for that, they were both thankful. While they didn't have to work directly with her father often, the Inuzuka and Nekoyama clans were pretty intermingled and closely placed on the battlefield. It would have been a great strategy if only there wasn't so much mistrust between the two. Nanami had hoped that the Kazekage's speech had swayed her clan towards comradery, but it seemed as if her father could also be pretty persuasive as well.

At their base camp where ninja were resting for the night and healing while others stood guard, Kiba smoothed a hand over Nanami's silver hair in an attempt at reassurance. The scruffy ninja placed a light kiss on her forehead as he stood in front of her while a medical ninja was off to her side, healing her injured arm.

Tsume and Hana entered the tent with tense expressions.

"Kiba, outside." Tsume barked and exited the tent. Hana paused, shrugged her shoulders at him, and followed her mother out. Tsume didn't often ask, she demanded, and there was never any room for an argument.

Kiba slid his hand down Nanami's other arm and gave her hand a light squeeze before following after his family.

"We've got a problem," Tsume stated, matter of factly.

 _When do we not?_ Kiba thought. He didn't say anything and waited for her to continue.

"Ikari is making it impossible for any kind of teamwork to take place. This isn't just a safety issue for our clan, it jeopardizes the entire mission and puts others in danger as well. Something is going to have to be done."

Kiba sighed. Things could never just be simple. "What can we do?" Kiba inquired, rubbing at his neck.

"I'm not sure anything can be done at this point," Hana said, "other than reporting to headquarters. They'll likely have to separate us."

Tsume sighed and muttered, "Childish" through gritted teeth.

Kiba glanced back at the medical tent then shifted his eyes to his mother.

"You know," Kiba began hesitantly, "this isn't Nanami's fault. She can't help what her father does and she really doesn't agree wi-"

"I'm not an idiot, Kiba!" His mother snapped back, cutting him off. "People aren't every member of their family and can't control what their blood does. I realized that when you refused to stop hanging out with the Nekoyama girl. Gods know that you're nothing like your father and if you were anything like me then maybe you'd listen to what I have to say for once in your life."

Hana grinned at Kiba. "Don't worry. When we manage to report to headquarters, we'll make sure they don't separate you from your girlfriend."

Kiba frowned through his blush and turned his head away. "That wasn't the point. I wasn't worried about that," Kiba lied.

Tsume crossed her arms and Hana rolled her eyes as she laughed at her brother's embarrassment.

* * *

Ikari circled the perimeter of the camp, ready for enemy attack. Hoping for one. It wasn't only that he needed to beat out his frustrations. The clan leader had a plan in mind and one that he was sure would put an end to all the shame his ridiculous daughter had caused him. If only her brother was still alive. The boy had always been the more practical of the two. It seemed that his family was always letting him down, as his son and wife had both failed him by dying. Ikari wondered angrily why he was the only one with any sense of duty, causing him to carry his entire clan on his back.

He wasn't about to let those wretched Inuzukas undo all the work he'd put in to make his clan great.

That's when Ikari spotted him. A ninja walked towards base camp wearing the shinobi alliance headband and a war vest. Ikari flung a kunai at him just as the ninja was passing a tree, effectively pinning him to it.

"What the hell?!" The ninja yelled in response. "I'm just returning to camp!"

Ikari flash stepped towards him, appearing before the ninja in a matter of moments.

"All two hundred eighty-six ninja in this particular camp are accounted for and not a single one has left on my watch."

"I-But I-I was left behind while injured and I-uh-"

Ikari pulled out a kunai, holding it against the enemy ninja's throat. "Save it. I know you're a White Zetsu."

The ninja smiled wickedly at him as he transformed into his true appearance.

"Very perceptive, I must admit," the White Zetsu said. "It doesn't matter. Even if you kill me, it's ultimately like throwing a pebble into the ocean: it won't create any waves."

"Oh, I don't want to kill you." Ikari smirked at his enemy and put his kunai away. "I was thinking more of a mutually beneficial relationship. At least for a moment."

"And why would I help you?"

"Because," Ikari replied honestly, "I can help you get into an enemy camp. I need you to eliminate a select few ninja."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"They're of no use to me," Ikari admitted. "They're nothing but a hindrance in this war. By getting rid of them, you'll kill off a few from our army and save me the trouble of having to do it inconspicuously myself."

The White Zetsu grinned. "With a mind like that, you should have joined the Akatsuki."

Ikari pulled the kunia out of the White Zetsu, releasing him from the tree. "As soon as they're out of the way, we're back to being enemies. I'll kill you myself."

The White Zetsu chuckled. "Getting rid of your comrades will be worth it. Like I said, killing me? Just a pebble in the ocean."

"They're not my comrades," Ikari said, leaving it at that.

* * *

Kiba, Nanami, and the rest of Team 8 stood watch over their camp as the stars twinkled above them in the sky. It was a beautiful night, but one that couldn't be enjoyed. Many ninja had already died and Kiba and Nanami had a few of their own close calls. While they couldn't let personal feelings get in the way of the war, they did their best to protect one another.

Nanami had a sinking feeling in her gut, a sort of sixth sense. It was the same sense that told her something was wrong the moment she walked through the door of her home the day that Father found her love letters.

"You okay, kitten?" Kiba asked, crouched next to her.

"I hope so," she mumbled. Her eyes shifted and she caught the sight of a white figure entering a cave a short distance away.

"If you need to talk about so-"

Nanami shushed him, cutting him off.

Kiba's eye twitched and he childishly crossed his arms. "I was just trying to be supportive."

"Not that, baka. Look." Her eyes flickered to him and then she nodded to the cave. Kiba paused, watching, waiting, and sniffing the air.

"What is it?" Hinata asked.

"White Zetsu. There's at least one hiding out in that cave over there," Nanami said.

"Most likely waiting for us to drop our guard so it can slip into camp," Shino said.

Kiba nodded. "Nanami and I can check it out. Come on, Akamaru."

"Are you sure you guys should be going by yourself?" Hinata asked timidly.

"We've got Akamaru and Aozora. Besides, you two need to stay behind to watch base. If we're not back soon, call in for reinforcements."

Shino nodded his head and Hinata wished them luck as they snuck towards the cave.

Nanami, Kiba, and their ninja animals searched the dark confines of the cave, keeping their sight and smell sharp to detect danger.

"Maybe he left..." Nanami mused, trailing off in thought. They were already deep inside the cave.

Kiba sniffed the air. "I don't think so. Something is definitely lurking around."

Nanami sighed. "You're right. I can't seem to shake this bad feel-"

An explosion cut her off, causing the cave to shake and rubble to fall from the ceiling.

"Watch out!" Kiba yelled. Nanami felt him push her out of the way of tumbling rock and she fell to the ground, hitting her head on a stone. Dust obscured her hazy vision and she fought hard to keep her eyes open. The impact of her head against stone made her vision blur and eventually, everything went black.

* * *

Kiba blinked his eyes open and moved to rub his throbbing skull. His hand, however, did not budge and remained in place behind him. The ninja hound user waited for his vision to clear and he struggled to sort out his thoughts as he took in his surroundings.

There was nothing but darkness and rock around him.

 _Oh, yeah,_ he thought, _the cave._

His body ached and he couldn't move. After a few moments, his brain finally began to process the situation. Kiba was bound by rope and next to him his buddy Akamaru was as well.

Kiba's stomach dropped and he struggled to sit up. He whipped his head around side to side, looking for the person who mattered most.

"Nanami!" He yelled, his voice echoing back at him.

"She's not here," a low voice called from the darkness.

Kiba looked in the direction of the voice and saw a figure step from the shadows, smiling mischievously at him.

"Ikari?" Kiba questioned, eyes wide. "Where's Nanami? What the hell did you do to her?!"

"Nothing," Ikari admitted. "Yet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means a White Zetsu is heading back towards her as we speak. And, as luck would have it, he looks an awfully lot like you."

Kiba scoffed. "You don't even give your own daughter enough credit. There's no way she would fall for that."

"On the contrary," Ikari said. "You give her too much credit. A scrap of your clothing is with the White Zetsu so he has your scent. And I was sure to fill him in on a few key details if Nanami happens to question him, thanks to those disgusting letters."

A knife twisted in Kiba's stomach as the reality of the situation settled in. But then again, something didn't make sense to him.

"What's the purpose of all of this? Can't you do the dirty work yourself?"

"While I do love doing the dirty work, I prefer to work smarter, not harder." Ikari circled Kiba and Akamaru, eyeing them. He sniffed the air. "Ugh, you smell like wet dog. How my idiotic daughter can stand even a second in your presence, I'll never understand."

After Ikari made a full circle around them, he stopped, standing in front of the two. He continued, "See, I can't just get rid of you on my own. Tsume would immediately suspect foul play if you two suddenly went missing. Instead, I have something better in mind." Ikari crouched in front of Kiba and smirked. "White Zetsu, taking your form, will kill my darling daughter. And then, he'll attack me. The distraught father who was only trying to save his daughter's life from an Inuzuka boy."

"No one is going to buy that," Kiba scoffed.

"You're right, for once. But-" Ikari held up a finger, "that's why my ninja cat is heading to warn my clan members. They'll be racing here in no time to catch _you_ in the act. Although the real you will be long gone by then. Of course, Tsume still won't believe it to be true. But when she attacks me, a clan leader who just lost his daughter to likes of her son, well, she won't last much longer on this earth."

Kiba struggled to breathe. The whole plan, it was all so malicious, and for what purpose? "What the hell is wrong with you? That's your daughter!"

"A failed experiment who's not fit to take over as the clan leader is all she is! She's just like her flakey mother who'd rather make our clan a mockery rather than lead it to greatness. Someone has to take matters into their own hands."

"What... what do you mean by that?"

Ikari rolled his eyes and stood, placing a hand against his forehead. "People really never seem to give me enough credit. Considering how disgustingly close you two seem to have gotten, I'm guessing Nanami's told you a bit about her past. Tell me, how do you think Zabuza knew where to find our clan secret?"

"Nanami... she told me that someone hired him to..."

"Right," Ikari nodded. "Someone. Anonymous."

That's when it clicked. "You...?"

Ikari smirked. "Me." He pulled a kunai from his pouch and Akamaru whined next to Kiba. "I'd do anything for the legacy of my clan."

The crazed ninja approached Kiba, kunai glinting. Kiba struggled against his rope to no avail and felt the impending doom that approached him.

 _I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Nanami..._ Kiba closed his eyes.

But the pain never came. Instead, Kiba heard Ikari cry out and felt the whoosh of air as his body went flying towards the wall of the cave. Kiba's eyes flew open and he was met by two familiar figures.

"Hinata! Shino!"

Hinata stood braced in her fighting stance, not taking her eyes off the enemy. Shino quickly cut the ropes binding Kiba and Akamaru.

"I've only managed one good hit on a chakra point since I was trying to get him away from you quickly; he won't be down long."

"You guys take care of him, I have to go find Nanami!" Kiba turned to Akamaru. "You go get Mom and Hana, the Nekoyama clan is sure to be heading here by now."

Akamaru hesitated, not wanting to leave his owner.

"I know you're worried, buddy, but there's no time. Go, now!" Kiba yelled and sprinted towards the direction of Nanami's scent.


	19. Chapter 18

**Attn: Every time I see someone has liked/followed this story, it makes me so happy and encourages me to continue. Thanks, I'm so glad y'all are enjoying the story! I've actually written every chapter except for the very last one, so all I have to do is edit and publish them. I'm planning for this to end at twenty-one chapters so it's nearly there :) I don't own Naruto. All characters except for the OC's are not my own.**

* * *

" _ **I'll never be that me again."**_

 **CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

When Nanami finally came to, she and Aozora were left where they had passed out. Save for a few fallen rocks, they were completely alone.

"Kiba?" Nanami ignored the headache forming in her temples and stood. She used her incredible night sight to peer into the dark tunnels of the cave but didn't see anyone around.

The silver-haired ninja looked around the general area, hunting for clues.

 _No sign of a struggle,_ she mused. _No bloodstains..._

Nanami heard the shuffle of stone and quickly unsheathed a kunai, whirling towards her enemy.

"Wait, Nanami, it's just me!" Kiba cried, throwing his hands up. He took another step towards her.

"Don't come any closer!" Nanami yelled back, crouched at the ready. It smelled like Kiba, but that strange feeling became stronger, refusing to subside. Aozora eyed him warily.

"But, Nanam-"

"What's my nickname?" she asked the familiar face.

Kiba's face softened. "Kitten," Kiba he said, smiling at her.

Nanami breathed a sigh of relief and placed the kunai back in her pouch. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Where's Akamaru?"

Kiba crossed the rest of the distance towards her as he replied, "I sent him back to the entrance while I waited for you to come to. I thought we could use the help."

"Right." She rubbed at her neck. "What do you think the explosion was?"

"I don't know, but we should probably head back for help too. Whatever it was, it can't be good."

"Yeah," Nanami agreed, nodding her head. "Come on, the entrance is back this way."

* * *

Kiba rushed towards Nanami as fast as his legs could take him. He hoped with everything he had inside of him that he wasn't too late. When he finally saw the three figures in the distance, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Until he saw the glint of a kunai from a too familiar face.

The Kiba look-alike trailed behind his silver-eyed beauty and Aozora towards the entrance of the cave. A wicked smile painted his lips as he pulled the kunai out of his pouch, pointing it at Nanami's back.

"KITTEN!" Kiba cried, knowing that he wouldn't be able to cross the rest of the distance fast enough.

Without missing a beat, Nanami ducked and swept her leg out, knocking the imposter off his feet. The kunai clattered to the ground and the look-alike exposed his true form as a White Zetsu. The assailant opened his body like a Venus flytrap, attempting to capture the mist ninja inside, but she and Aozora pounded back quickly, creating distance.

Blue flames sprinted from Nanami's fingertips creating a bow in her hands. "Raven Arrow Jutsu!" A blue raven screeched through the air and hit her assailant, sending the target up in flames.

Barely giving her a moment to celebrate her victory, a blur flashed in her vision and Nanami's brain quickly registered the threat of another attack. The blur knocked her cat to the side, sending Aozora flying into stone. Within the next second, Nanami was sent hurtling to the ground. She struggled with the heavy opponent, both rolling against the stone, attempting to gain leverage over the other.

With a vicious slam, her opponent grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed Nanami's body into the earth. It knocked the breath out of her and she opened her eyes, fury filled silver eyes meeting her own.

"Nanami!" Team 8 called out to her, Shino and Hinata also appearing on the scene.

Her father breathed heavy on top of her, sixteen years of disappointment unleashing on her at once.

"You really hate me that much," she confirmed, refusing to break his gaze in submission as she had so many times in the past.

"It seems you've gotten something right for once," he confirmed.

Her teammates and ninja cat made the move to approach her, but her father poured chakra into his claws and placed one razor-sharp nail against her throat.

"Don't even think about it," he hissed at them. "One slice and I'll have her bleeding out right here."

Nanami met Kiba's eyes and a look of understanding passed between them. She turned her head back to her father.

"So what now?" she asked him, voice leveling out into a tone of calm.

"Now?" he asked. Father brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "Now I do what I should have had Zabuza finish for me all those years ago."

Nanami let out a dark laugh. Father leaned back slightly so he could see her expression once more.

"Oh, Father." Nanami smiled at him. "You never did give me enough credit."

In a puff of smoke, Nanami was gone and a stone was left in her place.

Nanami's true form leaped from behind a boulder and she hurled her shuriken at him. Pouncing to his feet, he knocked the weapons away with his kunai.

"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba hurled himself at her father, spinning like a torpedo. Not having Akamaru with him to mark Ikari with his scent, her father was able to dodge the attack and Kiba roughly hit the stone behind him.

The stone rumbled from above and, acting quickly, Kiba stood and sprinted back toward their group. Nanami caught the sight of her father trying to sprint back towards safety as well. A large piece of stone fell from above and a cloud of dust filled the air. Nanami coughed, dirt catching in her lungs, and opened her eyes as the dust settled.

"Kiba?" she called, looking around. Her brown-haired mutt boy appeared next to her, touching her hand in reassurance. The sounds of cracking stone split the air.

"The cave is collapsing," he said and grasping her hand and turned to Hinata and Shino.

"We have to get out of here," Hinata confirmed.

Nanami turned to where her father had once been and saw him struggling under a large rock, his right leg crushed underneath. Father looked at her with pleading, fearful eyes. Nanami hesitated, struggling internally on whether she should save him.

 _He's your father,_ one voice said in her mind. Then the other: _he killed your mother and tried to kill you._

"We have to go!" Kiba tugged on her hand. Nanami faintly registered Akamaru's bark in the distance, getting closer.

She couldn't describe why, even after all that he'd done to her. Maybe it was a misplaced sense of duty or the struggle of losing her last immediate family member, but Nanami's brain finally came to a decision.

"Father!" she dashed towards him, ripping the hold Kiba's hand had on her.

And, just as Aozora had done so many years ago, she grabbed her owner by the shirt with her teeth and pulled her back to safety. Another stone crashed from above, missing Nanami and crushing her father's skull into the dirt.

Aozora slung Nanami onto her back and Hinata joined them. Her ninja cat sprinted to the cave entrance. Akamaru had made it back to them and followed closely behind carrying Kiba and Shino.

When they made it out, the entrance collapsed behind them moments later. Nanami tumbled off Aozora's back and weakly shuffled to what had just been the entrance to the cave. Now, it was nothing but a pile of rubble. Tears welled up in her eyes for a man that had never shed his own for her. She collapsed to her knees, taking in the sight and struggling to absorb the battle of feelings inside of her.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Tsume yelled, demanding an answer. She stood near the entrance of the cave, where she'd been waiting for them to make it back to safety. A few other members of the Inuzuka clan that Nanami didn't recognize stood behind her, along with Hana. The red fang markings on their cheeks made their clan lineage easy to spot.

"I'd like to know the same," a woman stepped forward who had blue sideways fang marks on her cheeks, signally that she belonged to the Nekoyamas. Other clan members stood closely next to her.

Nanami wondered faintly what they were all doing there but she felt too numb to draw up any sense of worry. She recognized the woman to be her aunt, Shifuku, who her father rarely ever spoke of.

"Where is Ikari?!" she asked, demanding an answer after no one replied.

"He..." Kiba struggled to answer, eyes shifting to the cave.

"He died," Shino answered honestly.

"He-what? And you didn't try to save him?" Shifuku yelled, energy ramping up.

"He tried to kill us! He went after me and then his own daughter!" Kiba yelled back in defense.

"Ikari would never do something like that," another Nekoyama clan member screamed back. "This is the Inuzukas fault! Kemuri warned us about you when he came to get us!"

Nanami saw the feline slink between legs, approaching the front.

"That's right!" Kemuri yelled out, stopping before them and turning to face the Nekoyama clan. "He knew what the Inuzuka clan had been plotting this entire time and desperately tried to put a stop to it. Tsume's boy has been trying to infiltrate our clan, using Ikari's very own daughter as bait." Kemuri pointed his paw at Nanami and then slammed it on the ground in righteous anger. "And now they've completed their mission by killing him off."

"That's preposterous!" Tsume scoffed, clearly resisting every urge inside her to kick the feline.

Every member of each clan began yelling, voices drowning out one another in a sea of hate. Their anger continued to rise, threatening for war within a war. Nanami continued to stare at the rubble, letting her feelings settle. Sadness and anger shifted inside of her, making room for courage and strength. A strange sense of calm washed over her. It was the kind of calm she always tried to feign in front of her father for so many years, despite insecurity hiding beneath the surface. This was different. This was a true, honest sense of calm washing over her.

Nanami stood and slowly turned to face both clans. She called for them to quiet and, when no one heeded her demand, Aozora let out a large, throaty roar, bringing the arguing to a stop. All eyes settled on Nanami and she began.

"What Kiba said is true: my father did try to kill us. As he held his claw to my throat, he admitted to killing my mother. His very own wife."

"What a ridiculous stateme-" Kemuri started.

"As next in line as clan leader, I order you to hold your tongue while in my presence." Nanami's voice boomed, cutting off her father's ratty cat.

"Nanami," Shifuku began carefully, "do you realize what you're saying?"

"I do." Nanami nodded. "My father was so consumed by an age-old hatred that it prevented him from seeing clearly. He'd rather his daughter die by his own hand than for her to be happy when it wasn't under his circumstances." She paused, then continued. "Look around you." Nanami pleaded. "Are we really so different?"

The varying clan members looked around at one another, all gathered around for a common purpose. Nanami noticed Kiba's sister, Hana, smile at her, encouraging her to continue.

"Think about it, Auntie," Nanami continued, singling out Shifuku. "Father was consumed by a stubborn sense of pride that prevented him from seeing past hatred. What are we even fighting about anymore? We aren't every member of our clan. We shouldn't be held accountable for the mistakes and grudges of our ancestors."

Shifuku paused, letting Nanami's words settle in her mind.

"Nanami's right!" a young, feminine voice called out. Nanami's cousin Mirai, who was only a year younger than Nanami, stepped forward. Dark blue hair was wrapped in a braid that was draped over her shoulder. "Come on, mama," Mirai continued, pouting her lips. "Uncle Ikari never let us even have a relationship with them! You said so many times about how uptight and strict he was! Nothing was ever good enough for him. We've barely had contact with Nanami since she and I were little."

Shifuku studied her daughter and then shot Nanami a hesitant look. Finally, the older woman sighed.

"Ikari had always been consumed by a darkness that wouldn't subside. He had a specific vision for our clan that he thought needed to be fulfilled, regardless of how many lives it cost. On that issue, we always did differ in opinion. Your mother agreed too that things needed to change. Sometimes..." Shifuku trailed off like she was unsure but then continued, "sometimes I wondered if he married her for power."

"You'll make a much better leader, Nanami!" Mirai blurted. "You can lead us on the path that your mother wanted!"

Shifuku cast her daughter a warning look, one that told her now wasn't the time.

Hana nudged her mother, signaling that she should say something on behalf of the Inuzuka's. Tsume grumbled and stepped forward.

"I suppose," Tsume began begrudgingly, "that we had a small hand in this persistent feud. But Nanami has a point. What's past is past."

Kiba smiled at his mother's sentiment. It was a rare sight to see a side of her that was even remotely agreeable. Kiba decided to store the memory, as it likely wouldn't happen again for another 20 years.

Tsume extended her hand and Shifuku grasped it in her own.

"What's past is past," Shifuku agreed. "Now, we face a common enemy for the sake of the entire ninja word."

Kiba's fingers grazed Nanami's and he took her hand is his. "You did this," he said. "This is all thanks to you."

 _I can do this, Father._ Nanami thought. _No matter what you thought of me, I know what's right and I know now that I can do this. And even if I can't, I have to._


	20. Chapter 19

" _ **I saw you in my dreams again."**_

 **CHAPTER NINETEEN**

The war was going smoother now that a new-found camaraderie had begun between the Inuzukas and Nekoyamas. It was nowhere near perfect and there was a sense of uncertainty in the air. The clans wouldn't be going on picnics or holding hands anytime soon, but it was a start.

As Naruto and Sasuke fought against Madara, a lingering sense of doom hung over the battlefield. Nanami watched in awe as Naruto demonstrated perfect control over the Kyuubiw, even lending his chakra to everyone, and Sasuke who fought using the Susanoo.

 _They're next level,_ she thought to herself. _No matter the power that everyone else has, it's going to take them to stop Madara._

Kiba kept Nanami close and she wondered if he too worried that this may be their last moments together.

Then, the moon went blindingly white. It was as if the sun had suddenly switched places with the moon. Kiba held onto Nanami's hand as tightly as possible, but as they both stared up at the moon along with the rest of the world, they felt their consciousness fading.

The last thing Kiba remembered before slipping under was Nanami's fingers brushing against his palm, hand falling from his as the lyrical tune of his name left her lips.

"Kiba..."

* * *

"Kiba!"

Kiba groggily opened his eyes and saw nothing but black. He felt the familiar sensation of his eyes pressed into the crook of his arm as he laid his head down, blocking out the light.

"BAKA!" The high-pitched voice rang again, louder this time.

Kiba lifted his head, blinking his eyes as they adjusted to the light. It took him a moment to process the small girl standing in front of him. Her hair was silver like moonlight with equally piercing silver eyes. Blue fang markings were splashed sideways across her cheeks, signaling to him that she was part of the Nekoyama clan. But the girl before him couldn't be older than five.

"N-Nanami?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Class hasn't even started yet and you're already sleeping? Isn't that some kind of record?"

"Class?"

Kiba looked around the room and saw all of his classmates standing around talking, waiting for the day to begin. Choji was scarfing down a bag of chips early in the morning, all the girls were fawning over Sasuke as he ignored them, and Naruto was no doubt in the process of pulling a prank.

Kiba looked back at the girl and registered that something seemed...off. Her silver hair was shoulder length and hung freely, not pulled back by any kind of clip or barrette. Without quite knowing why he reached his hand out to the smooth skin around her eye.

 _Shouldn't there be a scar there...?_

Nanami slapped his hand away before he could touch her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She yelled, angrily. "Look, just get your mutt out of my seat, k?"

A small white feline with black paws climbed up the side of Nanami's body and rested on her shoulder. Then, the cat let out a hiss.

 _Aozora?_

Kiba looked next to him and saw his buddy Akamaru resting comfortably on the desk. Small, nearly pocket-sized Akamaru. Kiba lifted his hands to his face and saw his small fingers, free of permanent cuts and callouses.

"What's your deal? Do you need a medic?"

Kiba looked back at small little Nanami who, only for a moment, looked concerned. She noted that he sensed her worry and covered It by huffing and crossing her arms.

Kiba blinked, and said a little hesitantly, "Up, buddy."

An annoyed growl came from Akamaru's stomach, but he reluctantly rose and climbed to rest on Kiba's head anyway. Nanami shuffled past him and sat down in her seat next to his.

"What are you looking at?" Nanami said, frowning at him.

Kiba started, not realizing he'd been staring at her.

"N-nothing." Kiba looked down, a blush forming on his cheeks. He put his head back down to hide his face. "Just leave me alone, baka."

It was a normal day at the Academy. But Kiba couldn't seem to shake this weird feeling that something was different about today.

When class ended, Kiba walked outside with Akamaru tucked into the top of his shirt. He saw his mom waiting for him and made his way toward her. Nanami rushed past him, bumping his shoulder and nearly knocking him to the ground. Kiba watched as she ran towards a silver-haired man and woman. The woman was beautiful, with long hair that flowed down her back like a waterfall and the strands on the side of her face clipped back with a blue barrette. The woman scooped Nanami in her arms and gave her a big bear hug while the man next to her smiled at the sight.

Tsume placed a hand on her son's shoulder and led them towards the family.

"Tsume, how are you?" Nanami's mom asked.

"I'm great, thanks. I didn't know little Nanami was also at the academy."

"She is!" Nanami's father beamed proudly.

Tsume looked down at her son and asked him, "Do you know Nanami?"

"Yes," Kiba replied.

"We sit next to each other," Nanami said at the same time.

"Oh!" Nanami's mother said, surprised. "I'm so glad you two are already friends!"

"We're not," Kiba and Nanami grumbled together.

Kiba hissed in pain as his mother pulled at the hair on the back of his neck as a silent scolding.

Nanami's mother laughed in embarrassment and her father replied quickly, "Well maybe they'll grow up to be great rivals instead. They can make each other stronger!"

The ninja hound user looked at the cat user and watched as she stuck her tongue out at him, pulling down the skin under her eye. Kiba frowned in response and stuck his tongue back out at her. Catching him in the childish act, his mother tugged at his hair once again.

"Ow!" he rubbed at the back of his head.

The girl in front of him giggled, eyes squinting shut. Kiba found himself smiling at the sound, sure that she wouldn't notice his reaction.

 _Cute,_ he thought.

Kiba blinked and found himself facing a twelve-year-old Nanami, fresh out of the academy and sporting her shiny leaf headband on her forehead. He adjusted his own and pointed his finger at her as they faced each other on the training grounds.

"Now that we're real ninja, I'm calling for a rematch!" he shouted to her.

Nanami adjusted the glove on her hand and smirked in response. "Don't you ever tire of me kicking your ass, baka?"

Kiba gritted his teeth and charged towards her, Akamaru in tow. In a flash of blue flame, Aozora transformed into a larger cat. Nanami and Aozora responded to his advance, defending stealthily against every kick and punch they threw. Akamaru transformed into a Kiba look alike and the two launched into a Fang Over Fang. Nanami jumped onto Aozora's back as she formed signs with her hands. The cat dashed away, avoiding their attack and a gush of water left Nanami's lips, hitting their opponent.

After landing back on the ground, Kiba and Akamaru shook the water from their bodies.

Nanami giggled. "Just like a mutt."

The ninja hound user sprinted towards the cat user and tackled her to the ground.

Kiba blinked and a sixteen-year-old Nanami lay pinned beneath him against the grass of the training grounds. He kept a firm grip on her wrists and drank in the sight. Her long silver hair was sprawled behind her and Kiba fleetingly wondered if it ever got in the way without having anything to pin it back.

Nanami huffed, trying to catch her breath and met his eyes. Her chest heaved up and down, brushing against his own with every inhalation. Her cheeks were flushed prettily from the physical exertion. Kiba found himself out of breath for another reason and his stomach flipped in response.

"Fine, you won the bet this time, baka. What do you want?"

Kiba paused, staring at her silently. He lowered his head slightly towards her. A dawning recognition crossed those silver eyes that kept an intense gaze upon his own.

Nanami visibly swallowed and questioned again. "Kiba?"

Without his permission, Kiba's hand lifted and brushed the silver locks away from Nanami's face. Giving in to an urge Kiba had been ignoring for years, he lowered his head and kissed her. It began soft and sweet. Nanami melted in to the sensation, lifting her arms and placing her hands on either side of his face to hungrily pulled him closer. Kiba obliged, lips moving together with hers in perfect sync. Slender fingers ran through his short hair.

When Kiba finally pulled back from her, he saw that Nanami visibly pouted and he smirked at her.

"I want you to be my kitten," he finally replied.

Kiba blinked and saw the village gathered in front of him, awaiting his words. Kiba sat in a chair, dressed in his Hokage robes and a large Akamaru sitting beside him.

"I think I'll start by establishing a new holiday called Dog Day!" Kiba declared to the adoring villagers and ninja. "Everyone will own a dog!" Kiba stood to the sound of cheers. "Go get a dog! It's the Hokage's decree!"

Kiba walked into the Hokage's office later feeling tired and ready for a good nap. When he looked up, Nanami was leaning back against his desk, looking elegant yet casual.

"Kiba!" she ran towards him, grabbing his hand and leading him to a couch in his office. After he sat down, Nanami climbed on top of him. "I never got to properly congratulate you." Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

The newly appointed Hokage smirked and reach his hand up, tucking the stray silver locks behind his girlfriend's ear. No, his soon-to-be wife once he asked her.

"Hokage and a beautiful woman by my side? How'd I ever get so lucky?"

Nanami winked at him. "You're about to get a whole lot luckier." She leaned toward him and trailed kisses around his neck. Kiba sighed in content as her lips grazed his ear. " _Beast,_ " she said, teasingly, knowing the nickname turned him on.

Kiba frowned momentarily, wondering why the sound of the nickname made him feel off instead. He shook off the feeling quickly as her fingertips glided down his chest, across his stomach, and to the waistband of his pants.

A smile formed on Kiba's lips from where he was wrapped in his cocoon of dreams.


	21. Chapter 20

" _ **In my dreams, I will always find my way back to you."**_

 **CHAPTER TWENTY**

Nanami's eyes fluttered open against the light peeking through the blinds of her bedroom window. She blinked hard a few times as she sat up in the bed and looked around, taking in the surroundings. While it was perfectly normal for her to wake up in her own bed, Nanami frowned, unable to shake the weird feeling that something was off.

Swinging her legs over the bed, Nanami gasped in surprise at the sight of her small legs. Her feet couldn't even brush the floor. Next, she ran her fingers through her hair, feeling the locks that stopped at her shoulders.

 _Why do I feel like that my hair should be longer?_ She mused.

Nanami glanced over at Aozora's small form slumbering on the blue quilt and smiled. It comforted her to know she always had something she could rely on. Still disoriented, Nanami hopped down from the bed and exited her bedroom door as she rubbed at her eyes.

"Morning, honey," a cheery voice greeted her. "You slept a little late. Want any breakfast?"

Nanami's breath caught and she moved her hand from her eyes. Before her sat a beautiful woman at the family kotatsu, her silver locks like silk down her back. The blue barrette pinned the sides of her hair out of her face while she sewed a piece of clothing in her lap.

"M-mama?" Overwhelming emotion poured into little Nanami's heart. "Mama!"

Five-year-old Nanami ran towards her mother as fast as her little legs could carry her and tackled the woman in a bear hug. Mother caught her daughter in surprise, nearly falling over. She laughed as Nanami squeezed her, arms wrapped around her protectively.

Laying a hand affectionately on her daughter's head, Mother asked, "What's gotten into you?"

Nanami pulled back and laughed herself, wiping the tears that were welling up in her eyes. "I don't know..." She stopped and furrowed her brow. "I had a bad dream that you were gone."

"You're too old to have nightmares! You're starting the academy tomorrow. It's time to act like a big girl."

The male voice sounded foreign yet also familiar to Nanami's ears and she spun. He stood tall and proud, much like her father, but was in his late teens.

"Oni-chan?" she said, hopefully.

His eyebrows shot up. "Wow, that must have been some dream." He closed the distance between them and placed a hand on his sister's forehead. "You don't have a fever."

Nanami knocked his hand away and huffed. "I'm fine!"

Brother laughed and ruffled her hair. "You better be. Mother and Father are presenting you tonight at the Neko-Zuka clan rally tonight and you don't want to embarrass them."

"Neko...zuka?" Nanami questioned, tilting her head.

Brother rolled his eyes and mother laughed. She pulled her daughter onto her lap and tapped her nose. "Silly girl. That's the name of the bonding ceremony between the Nekoyama and Inuzuka clan. This year, it's our turn to hold the ceremony."

"They'll try to tell you that it's called Inu-Yama, but don't believe them," her brother said, winking at her.

"What's the ceremony for?" Nanami asked.

Brother walked off to start a pot of tea while Mother continued.

"It's to celebrate the end of an age-old feud between both of our clans. We hold one every few years as a sign of comradery and to keep our bonds strong. The last one was held while I was pregnant with you so this will be your first!"

"So does that mean I'll make lots of friends there?" Nanami questioned, excitedly.

"Well..." Mother smiled teasingly at her daughter and poked her side, "I heard that Tsume Inuzuka has a boy that's the same age as you. Maybe you'll grow up to be great friends."

Nanami wrinkled her nose. "I don't want a boy friend! Yuck!"

That evening, Nanami stood with her family in a large room full of unfamiliar faces. The distinctive clan markings of blue and red made it easy to separate the families. The five-year-old huffed and crossed her arms, already bored in a sea of adults. Mother's eyes caught someone from across the room and she steered her daughter towards them.

"Tsume! Hi, how are you?" Mother greeted cheerily, stopping in front of a scary-looking woman who had two children next to her. One was a girl who looked just a bit younger than Brother and the other was a boy who was the same age as Nanami.

 _That must be Kiba,_ Nanami thought.

He had short brown hair and red fang markings on his cheeks. Kiba tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his formal attire. Nanami could sympathize, as she hated the dress her mother made her wear. How do you climb and do flips in a stupid dress?

"Good, thanks," Tsume answered shortly. "And who's this?" She cast her eyes down at Nanami.

Mother placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder and Nanami's face grew pink at the attention. "This is Nanami. She's starting the academy this year."

Tsume's eyes lit up and she patted Kiba's head proudly. The way Kiba grimaced made Nanami think that maybe she was patting him a little too hard.

"This is Kiba! He's starting the academy too."

Nanami watched as a dog poked his head out of Kiba's collar. Moments later, Aozora poked her own head out of the collar of Nanami's dress. The two animals glowered at each other and the two five-year-olds immediately copied their companions' distaste.

"That's nice!" Mother commented to Tsume. "I'm sure the two of them will become excellent friends."

"As if," Nanami grumbled.

At the same time, Kiba muttered under his breath, "I doubt it."

Tsume pulled at the hair on the back of Kiba's neck and he hissed in pain. Mother gave her warning to her daughter by squeezing her shoulder a little too hard.

The scary-looking woman gave an uneasy laugh and said, "Well, maybe good rivals instead."

Nanami tried to move out from underneath her mother, but the silver-haired woman kept such a strong hand on her that Nanami was unable to budge. Defeated, Nanami looked back to Kiba and found that he was watching her closely. The boy started in surprise at being caught and turned his head away, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. She smiled at the reaction and giggled.

 _Cute,_ she thought.

As the evening wore on and after Kiba and Nanami were presented to their clans, she grew weary. Drained from the interaction and all the people, Nanami found a chance to slip away into the night.

Nanami breathed in the cool, crisp ocean air and closed her eyes as the wind played with her short locks. She found her a spot on the soft grass up a hill and settled herself there, staring up at the night sky. It was full of twinkling stars, so far away yet beautiful despite the distance.

"What are you doing?"

Nanami reflexively rolled onto her side and to a crouched position, ready to defend herself. Her eyes found the assailant in the night: A confused looking Kiba with his hands shoved in his pockets and eyebrow cocked. She rolled her eyes and settled back down.

"I'm stargazing."

"What?"

Nanami huffed. "Do you need me to spell it out for you, baka?"

Kiba crossed the distance and settled down next to her in the grass. "I'm surprised that you can see anything through this mist."

"I have good night-sight. Also, we Hidden Mist villagers are used to it."

Kiba didn't say anything and looked up at the sky with her. Nanami shifted uncomfortably at his closeness and cleared her throat. Sensing he needed to explain his presence, Kiba spoke up again.

"It's crowded in there. Nothing but boring old adults... So... what's stargazing?"

Nanami grinned a bit, understanding his need to get away and obliged him by explaining.

"Well... it's just looking up at the stars." Nanami sighed in content. "My momma and I do this a lot. It's beautiful and reminds me how big the world is. Mommas says we're just a spec on this dirt like each star is one spec in the sky."

Kiba furrowed his brow. "I don't get it."

The small girl giggled at his response. "Mother has been teaching me the constellations too. They're stars that when you put them together, they form a picture. She says that they're like people. We're specs but when we get together, we can make something great."

Nanami turned her head and saw a twelve-year-old Kiba looking back at her.

"Can you show me?" he asked.

The silver-haired girl had grown as well and rested next to him on their spot on the hill. Every Neko-Zuka bonding ceremony, Nanami would show Kiba the new constellation she'd learned from the tradition that started at the age of five.

Nanami pointed to a particular cluster of stars in the sky. "You see that one that's kind of shaped like a dog?" she asked. "That's Lupus, which is Latin for wolf."

Kiba shot her a wicked grin. "Did you learn that one just for me?"

Her face reddened and she mumbled, "no." But she refused to look at him. The truth was that she did. Nanami tried to learn constellations that she thought he would like in anticipation of their next meeting. And Lupus reminded her of Kiba every time she saw it in the sky.

When Nanami blinked, she was sixteen and standing in her home wearing a white dress that shimmered an iridescent blue. It was silky, flowed to the floor, and had delicate straps that crossed over her exposed back.

"Why do I have to wear this thing? It's way too formal!" Nanami whined. Mother stood behind her and placed her hands lovingly on her daughter's shoulders.

"Because today is special."

Nanami rolled her eyes. "It's just the Neko-Zuka ceremony. I've been, like, a million times."

"Just... trust me."

Mother patted her and walked out, leaving Nanami alone with her image. Her fingers ran over the soft material and she smiled. It _was_ a beautiful dress. She flipped her long, cascading silver hair over her shoulder and met the eyes of her reflection. Frowning, Nanami found herself brushing the skin around her eye.

 _It's like something is missing..._ The thought trailed off and Nanami shook her head, abandoning it altogether.

That evening, Nanami waited for Kiba at their usual spot on the dock at the Hidden Leaf Village, which is where the ceremony was being held this particular year. She had her dress lifted and let her feet dangle in the water, feeling the cool water surrounding her feet. A throat cleared behind her and she looked back, silver eyes meeting black.

"Y-you look nice," Kiba said, flustered and red-faced.

Nanami looked him up and down and noticed that he was dressed a little more formally than usual as well.

"So do you," she commented, meaning it.

His blush deepened and Kiba looked away. He stood there for a few moments and looked back at her. Nanami lifted an eyebrow, puzzled at his embarrassment. Finally, Kiba crossed the distance and settled next to her, crossing his legs on the dock.

"This-uh-this is for you." Kiba handed her a lily that she hadn't noticed he was holding.

"Oh!" Nanami said in surprise, then smiled, taking the flower from him. "Thanks."

She sniffed at the flower and then looked back at him, noticing he was watching her closely.

"What's with you?" she asked. "You're acting strange, baka."

"Nothing."

Nanami shrugged and then came to rest with her back against the cool dock, staring up at the stars. After a few moments, Kiba joined her, his shoulder pressed against hers. A blush crept against Nanami's cheeks when he didn't move and she felt the warmth that radiated off his skin.

After a moment of silence, Nanami shook off the feeling and began showing Kiba all the new constellations she'd learned. Everything was going normal until his fingers brushed against hers. She expected him to move them away quickly. After all, they'd spent many times next to each other so it had occurred a few times. But this time, after a moment of hesitation, Kiba opted to slowly graze them over her skin before finally taking her hand in his.

Nanami forgot to breathe and found herself unable to move. Her hand remained frozen but she allowed the hound ninja user next to her intertwine his fingers with her own.

"I missed you," he said softly.

Turning her head, she caught his eyes staring into her own with an expression she'd never seen painted on his face before. Before she knew what was happening, she found herself replying honestly, "I missed you too."

Kiba looked relieved and leaned his face towards hers. Nanami kept very still, afraid that even the slightest movement would shatter whatever was occurring between them. Finally, she felt his lips meet her own, soft and hesitant. She sighed against his lips, giving in and reaching up to cup his cheek. Hesitance turned to resolve and Kiba's lips became surer. He moved them against her own, sending a flurry of butterflies in her stomach.

When they finally broke apart, Kiba rested his head against hers and sighed in satisfaction. "Kitten," he breathed, naming her as his.

At the hotel they were staying in, Nanami nervously fiddled with her dress skirt, waiting for her mother to walk through the door.

"Nanami? Is something wrong?" Mother asked when she arrived, seeing her daughter's worried expression.

Nanami said nothing, but her red face said it all.

A knowing smile crept on Mother's face and she winked at her daughter. "He kissed you, didn't he?"

Starting in surprise, Nanami stuttered, "H-how did you know?"

Mother laughed and came to sit next to her daughter on the sofa. "I know what love looks like when I see it."

Nanami's eyes widened, realizing why her mother had made her wear the dress. "You knew?"

"Did Nanami fall in love with the mutt?" Brother laughed, walking into the living area from an adjacent room.

They both shot him a warning look and he put his hands up in surrender.

Turning back to her mother, Nanami nervously asked, "But... what does that mean for our relationship?" Mother looked at Nanami quizzically so she continued. "It's just... we live in two different villages and separate clans. Isn't it doomed to fail?"

Mother's expression softened and she took Nanami's hand in hers. "Nanami, when two people love each other, those things don't matter."

"But am I not supposed to take over as clan leader one day?"

"Honey, where ever did you get that idea?"

"Hey!" Brother pointed his thumb at his chest, puffing it out. "That's my job! Don't think that you can steal it from me now."

Nanami blinked a few times in surprise and confusion. "Oh... yeah. I forgot."

"Nanami," Mother wrapped her daughter in a hug, head resting on her shoulders. "If you left our village one day to marry a man, I'd be sad to see you go. But more than anything, I'd be happy to know that you're happy. That's all a mother wants for her child."

Tears pricked the corner of Nanami's eyes and she wrapped her arms tightly around her mother's waist. "I love you, Mama." She closed her eyes, the tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I love you too, darling."

In the next instant, Nanami felt the world around her shift. The fabric of her reality ripped at the seams and she was snatched from her warm cocoon of dreams. Nanami's eyes snapped opened and she tumbled onto the hard dirt, where she was dumped into a harsh, cruel world.

"Mama?"

Nanami's head whipped side to side as she took in the battlefield and shinobi all around her. She brought her trembling hands in front of her and stared at the dirt and scars on them. She dropped them to her torn shinobi pants, bunching up the fabric, such a different texture from the silk she'd been wearing moments before. Her mind couldn't comprehend what the hell was happening.

"M..." Nanami's lip trembled and her voice cracked as she cried out, "MAMAAAAAAA!"

Slow understanding crept over her. _The war... Father's death... Infinite Tsukuyomi...That's right...What I saw back there... It was all a dream..._

The understanding crushed her very soul. Nanami could still feel her mother's arms around her. She hugged herself, trying to bring back that warm feeling. Sobs racked her body and she struggled to suck in the air between them, hiccupping instead. Nanami knew she should be happy that their enemy was defeated and that being back, in reality, meant that the world was saved, but she couldn't help the despair creeping into her heart.

A hand gently touched her shoulder and Nanami's head shot up to look at Kiba standing behind her. The pained expression painted on his face was one of understanding, an inkling idea of what she experienced in her dream.

"Kiba..." her voice cracked.

He crouched and she turned her body to face him. "Kitten..."

Kiba cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over the scar under her eye, wiping away another tear. He loved the scar that she saw as a deformity and painful reminder of her past. It was how he knew she was real. He was really back here with her. Knowing there was nothing he could say to mend her shattered heart, he left it at that and wordlessly wrapped her into a hug. Kiba pressed her tightly against him as if shielding her from further heartbreak.

While Kiba thought that he would do anything to take away his love's pain and feeling like he was doing very little to do so, Nanami continued to hiccup on her sobs and melted into his embrace.

" _I'd be happy to know that you're happy. That's all a mother wants for her child."_

While Nanami's heart still ached from the feeling of losing her mother a second time, she thought that she finally knew what home felt like. It was here in Kiba's arms.


	22. Chapter 21

**Author: It's finally completed! I can't believe this story is coming to a close. I really want to thank those who left me reviews, favorited, and followed this story. I didn't expect much. It was just something I had dreamt up that I wanted to get out of my mind and onto paper. Your kindness, patience, and that you've stuck with this story meant a lot to me. This last chapter is my longest, at almost 6,000 words. I really didn't feel like splitting it up into two chapters and felt that it flowed better as one. Hope you enjoy! (I obviously don't own Naruto. I only own the OC's.)**

* * *

" _ **I've had to go days and weeks and years without you. But not for one single second did I ever stop loving you."**_

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

Kiba stood in front of the door to the Hokage's office, trying to work up the nerve to knock. It wasn't necessarily that he was nervous, but that he was embarrassed. Incredibly embarrassed. He was about to open himself up in a way that he didn't do often. Really, the only person he'd ever opened up to was Nanami. But she wasn't here.

He scratched the back of his head. "Okay, I'll start off with... No, wait that's stupid... Maybe...no..." Kiba groaned and put his head in his heads. "Ugh, what do I do, Akamaru?" His dog looked at him with an expression that read perfectly as ' _how the hell should I know?'_

"Stop blubbering out there and COME IN ALREADY!" An impatient female voice shouted from the other end of the door.

Kiba jolted to attention and immediately opened the door, Akamaru following behind him. On the other side stood Lady Tsunade and a flustered looking Kakashi. Tsunade-sama had been preparing Kakashi to take over as the new Hokage. If the look on his face and the files stacked everywhere was any indication, the transition was daunting.

"Well, what is it?" Tsunade rounded the desk and took a seat, waiting for him to reveal why he was in her office

Kiba gulped and began, "Well, I, uh..." Tsunade glared at him with harsh brown eyes so Kiba took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and forged on. "I'm wanting to know if there's any way possible for Nanami to move to the Leaf village."

Tsunade cocked an eyebrow at him and he noticed Kakashi smile playfully beneath his mask.

"Are you sure that's something Nanami would want?" Tsunade asked.

"I... Yeah. I think so."

Tsunade tapped her finger on the desk for a few moments while she studied him. Kiba shifted beneath her gaze and it felt like an eternity had passed before she finally spoke up again. "It's not something that would be simple. There's only one way a ninja from a shinobi village and prominent clan to leave their home without becoming a missing-nin." She paused again, studying him before finally saying, "They would have to marry another shinobi from an allied village."

Kiba said nothing and merely nodded at the news.

Kakashi lifted his eyebrows. "You don't seem all that surprised," he said, clearly amused.

"I kind of assumed," Kiba admitted.

"Is that something you're prepared to do? Proposing?" Tsunade asked while sizing him up.

Despite this, Kiba suddenly felt more determined and surer of himself. "I am." Akamaru barked happily as a confirmation.

"Well, then." Tsunade smiled at him. "I must warn you then if this is a path you're prepared to take." She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, her stern expression returned, daring him to refute whatever she was about to say. "You are far too young to get married. For a marriage that would require the Land of Waves to lose a shinobi, you would both need to be at least 18 years old."

Kiba opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off. "If you two truly love each other, something like distance won't stop you from ending up together."

He closed his mouth and nodded.

"Dismissed."

Kiba returned to his home, ignoring Hana's greeting when he walked through the front door. Instead, he went straight to his room and closed the door once Akamaru entered behind him. He fell on to the bed and put his arm over his face. Akamaru whined and Kiba sighed before reaching over to pat the large dog on his head.

"I'll be fine, buddy. Don't worry about me."

Akamaru looked at his owner uncertainly and then laid down to rest at the foot of the bed. Kiba looked to his bedside table and grinned at the framed photo that sat there. A smiling Nanami had her head poked over Kiba's shoulder. One arm was wrapped around his neck and she used her other hand to make bunny ears on top of his head. The Kiba in the photo looked adoringly up at her, his own smile painted with love.

Kiba slung his legs around and sat on the bed, then reached to grab the photo album next to the picture frame. The ninja hound user gently flipped through the pages filled with photos of their time together. As he studied her features, Kiba marveled at how he managed to fall in love with someone so opposite of him in such a short time. He was sure other people may paint his affection as puppy love, but the ache in his heart and the stirring in his gut demanded that it was another sensation entirely. Kiba had never been in love before, but there was no doubt in his mind that this was it.

Flipping another page, Kiba came across a photo of Nanami that he'd snapped the moment she'd opened her apartment door for him early in the morning. Her long silver hair was flowing freely, not pulled back by her barrette. Her long nightshirt skimmed the top of her thighs and her hand was partially covering her face as she yawned. Nanami hated the photo and had demanded he throw it away, but it was one of Kiba's favorites. He drank in the sight of her long, toned legs and silver bedhead.

Finally, he flipped the page again and came across his family photo. Part of the picture was torn so his father's face wasn't shown. Kiba ran his fingers gently over the picture and wondered what it would be like to be married. How would it feel to stand next to Nanami in a photo like this, their two small children posed in front of them? Growing up, Kiba never thought he'd be the type to consider such things. But now, he studied the torn portion of the photo and vowed he'd be a better husband and father than his dad if only Kiba were given the chance.

Two years. That's about how long Kiba would need to wait before he could ask Nanami to marry him. How often would they get to see each other during that time? Would they get to see each other at all? Would she move on from him through the distance?

The only thing Kiba could do was pray that she loved him just as much. That their bond was strong enough to last the distance and time between.

* * *

Nanami rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand, as she rapped gently on the door with the other. Murai flung the door open excitedly and beamed like the sun as if it wasn't six in the morning. The girl was fully dressed, her long dark blue hair braided neatly.

"Lady N!"

Startled by the strong wave of energy while the rest of the world was still quiet, Nanami took a step back. The cat ninja user had never really been a morning person, but Murai clearly was.

"H-Hi, Murai." Nanami frowned. "Please, I've said before that you can just call me Nanami."

"No way, Lady N. Especially not now! That would be disrespectful," the 18-year-old girl said stubbornly.

Murai had called Nanami by the title of Lady N since they were children. Now that Nanami's father was no longer of this world, they'd finally had the chance to rekindle the friendship that had been forced to end when they were young. Even after these last two years together, Murai still hadn't dropped saying the title, regardless of how casual they'd become.

She stepped aside and welcomed Nanami and Aozora into the cozy home. Blankets and throw pillows littered every seating surface and the soft blue walls made Nanami feel at peace. Family photos hung proudly on the wall and the room smelled like lavender. Her own home, by contrast, seemed pitiful and gloomy.

"Ah, Nanami." Shifuku entered the room looking as put together as her daughter but calm rather than overly cheerful. I guess the excitement of today was getting to Murai. Shifuku, on the other hand, was more used to the upcoming occasion. Shifuku nodded towards the hallway. "Come on, I have something I want to show you."

Nanami's aunt led her to a bedroom and immediately opened the closet door. From there, she pulled down a dusty trunk and undid the clasps to open it. Shifuku smiled fondly at its contents and, feeling curious, Nanami knelt beside her aunt to take a peek.

She gasped, not quite believing her eyes. Nanami rubbed at them furiously, convinced she had to be dreaming. But when she removed her hands, the dress remained snuggled into the trunk space. Shifuku lifted it to reveal a silky white dress that gleamed an iridescent blue. The delicate straps hung from Shifuku's fingers and, turning her head, Nanami could see that the straps crisscrossed against the open back.

"It was your mother's." Shifuku smiled warmly and handed it to Nanami. Nanami took it carefully from her, afraid that the slightest touch may cause it to disappear. "She wore it on her wedding day. Believe it or not, your father was a bit more kind back then. His heart just hardened more and more over time...Well, anyway, I thought maybe you'd like to wear it today."

"Oh, wow!" Murai popped her head over their shoulders and beamed at the fabric in Nanami's hands. "Lady N, you'll look beautiful in that!"

Nanami stifled her sob and Murai looked at her with great concern. She wiped the tears away quickly before they could fall, in fear that they might disturb the perfect, smooth surface of the dress.

"What's wrong?" Murai asked.

"I... I saw this dress. In there. The _Infinite Tsukuyomi_. S-she made me wear it." Nanami blinked hard a few times, unable to grasp the reality in front of her. She whispered, " _I can't believe it's rea_ l."

Murai moved to comfort Nanami but Shifuku stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's let Nanami have a moment to herself," Shifuku said.

Murai opened her mouth to argue, but then decided against it. She cast Nanami a concerned look as her mother led her out the door. Aozora's small form crawled into Nanami's lap in order to comfort her owner. Nanami patted her head absentmindedly.

" _Why do I have to wear this thing? It's way too formal!"_

 _Mother stood behind Nanami and placed her hands lovingly on her daughter's shoulders._

" _Because today is special."_

Nanami recalled the moment of the intense Jutsu-casted dream. This... It really was her mother's dress. It existed on this plane. She remembered distinctly how it looked on her in the mirror. Though Nanami had been 16 at the time and now looked a bit more filled out being that she was two years older. But the touch, that felt the same.

Her mother's wedding dress. Nanami knew she should be happier, but wished that she could be wearing this dress on a more joyous occasion. Everyone was looking forward to it, it seemed, except her. _What would it be like to wear this dress to my own wedding?_ She wondered.

A picture of a beautiful spring day filled Nanami's mind and she imagined Kiba smiling at her as he vowed to be with her always. Nanami shook the image out of her mind. She was being silly. They had seen each other only a handful of times in the span of a little over two years. Both being shinobi and living in different villages hadn't made things easy. It would take at _least_ three days for them to travel to see each other. It always seemed that the other was on a mission or with too many responsibilities to be able to leave the village. She couldn't touch him whenever she wanted or hear his voice whenever she most needed it. But she loved him and Nanami was much too stubborn to let him go simply because they couldn't physically be together.

Today... Today's responsibility would make being with her love seem even more like a distant dream.

* * *

Kiba's stomach twisted when they arrived in the Land of Waves. Lord Kakashi (Kiba still felt a little weird saying that) had sent them on a special mission that he knew Kiba had been itching for since the moment he'd turned eighteen. The hound ninja user fussed with his wavy brown hair, trying to fix it due to all the moisture in the air.

"What are you so nervous about?" Shino asked, in his trait monotone voice. "It's not like she'll say no. Why else would she stay in contact with you?"

Kiba turned around and shook his fist at his calm and collected teammate. "I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE, DO I?" He gritted his teeth and continued, "I'd like to see you propose to a girl without completely creeping her out, ya bug freak!"

Hinata laughed nervously and held her hands up. "I'm sure Kiba didn't mean that. He's just nervous." She approached Kiba and reached up to help him fix his hair. Once she was satisfied, she stopped and smiled kindly at him. "It's a big moment. Naruto knew I'd say yes, but he was still nervous about proposing. Everything will be fine. As long as your bond is strong, there's nothing to worry about."

Kiba smiled back at his female teammate who he'd fondly grown to think of as a sister throughout all their years together. "Thanks, Hinata."

Despite her reassuring words, Kiba still couldn't shake the nervous excitement building in him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring, staring at it. The delicate ring's sapphire stone glinted in the light and Kiba wondered if Nanami truly felt the same way. He felt as if their bond was strong, but how did she feel? Maybe she'd only kept in touch with him these last two years out of pity. Maybe she'd take one look at him and turn him down.

He shoved the ring back in his pocket and forcibly pushed the negative thoughts away. He knew Hinata was right. The only option was to believe in their bond. The trio traveled around the Hidden Mist Village, looking for Nanami. After speaking to various villagers, they arrived at a large, important-looking building that her entire clan was said to be at.

 _Great,_ Kiba thought. _Like I really wanted to do this in front of a crowd._

As Kiba faced the doors, he found himself unable to move. Hinata stepped up beside him and gently pushed him forward.

"You just have to get through asking. The question is the hardest part. Then, you'll be getting married just like me and Naruto."

 _She's right_ , Kiba thought. _I mean, if Naruto can do this then so can I. I'm not going to let him beat me again!_

Kiba felt a rush of determination and opened the door before his nervousness could overcome him again. After wandering around the building for several minutes, the trio finally found the silver haired girl, no _woman_ , on the fifth floor facing large double doors etched with intricate patterns.

He abruptly stopped, drinking in the sight. She was facing away from him, wearing a breathtaking white dress that gleamed an iridescent blue. Kiba wondered how long her hair was now, as he couldn't tell because the silver locks were braided in an updo that had the braid pinned, framing her neck. This allowed her back to be fully exposed, as the dress was open with nothing more than delicate straps crisscrossing over her shoulder blades. Her signature sapphire barrette was safely nestled above the braid. Despite not facing him, Kiba could tell she was nervous. Nanami's shoulders were tensed up and her hands were in front of her, clutching at the fabric of her dress.

Nanami didn't notice their presence, likely due to her nervousness. Even Aozora didn't detect them, who was looking up at her owner with an obvious expression of concern. The only person who noticed the group was a girl with dark blue hair, who Kiba vaguely recognized as Murai who he'd only met during the war. She stood there, mouth hung open in surprise, not saying anything.

Kiba was too preoccupied and awestruck by the vision of the girl of his dreams to care. Nanami looked like a bride, and he wondered if he was somehow dreaming. His nervousness faded at the sight and was replaced by an intense longing. Only when he felt Akamaru's cold, wet nose nudging his hand did he break from his trance.

"Kitten?"

Nanami swiveled around, the loose silver locks framing her face swaying at the movement. She gasped and every trace of worry completely vanished from her expression as she lit up at the sight of him.

"Kiba!"

She immediately sprinted towards him with her dress billowing behind and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He held her with his arms around her waist and nestled his face into the crook of her neck, breathing in the familiar scent he'd missed horribly. She giggled at the hairs on his chin that tickled her. It was the exact melody that he'd replayed in his head for two years now.

Only when Shino loudly cleared his throat did they finally part. Kiba shot him an annoyed look and Nanami blushed, embarrassed at the obvious show of affection.

"Hi, you guys." Nanami greeted them.

"You look beautiful, Nanami," Hinata commented.

"Thanks, Hinata."

"You really do." Kiba knew he was openly ogling her, but he couldn't help himself. He noted smugly how her blush deepened under his gaze.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Nanami quipped, running her fingers through his hair that had grown a bit over the last two years. She trailed her fingers down his cheek and across his jaw to the bit of facial hair there. Her touch sent a shiver down his spine and now Nanami was smirking at the heat filling Kiba's cheeks.

Deflecting, he asked her, "What are you dressed up for?"

"Oh, um..." Nanami cast her eyes sideways at the large double doors then down to the floor, clutching at her dress again. "We're having a ceremony today that's special to the Nekoyama clan. Basically, I'm being sworn in as the official leader of my clan, now that I'm of age." Nanami looked down at Aozora and smiled at the small cat, although it was a little uneasy. "Aozora and I will be bonded by blood and chakra, making us stronger than ever."

"You're being sworn in as clan leader at eighteen? That's impressive." Shino said in a way that, if you didn't know him, it would sound like he wasn't impressed at all.

Meanwhile, the words that escaped her lips felt like a million knives stabbing into Kiba's heart. Clan leader? Kiba lowered his gaze, crushed that she had already come to her decision before he'd even had a chance to ask.

As if the thought had just struck her, Nanami raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but is something wrong?"

Kiba opened his mouth but no sound came out. He stood there with his mouth open, like a fish out of water. A painful moment of silence passed with Nanami looking at him expectantly with a slight hint of concern. Unable to take the silence anymore, Shino nudged him painfully in the ribs.

Kiba took a breath.

" _Everything will be fine. As long as your bond is strong, there's nothing to worry about."_

Hinata's words rang in his thoughts and Kiba stuck his hand into his pocket, feeling the cool metal against his palm.

" _The question is the hardest part."_

Kiba took both of Nanami's hands in his and decided to go for it, without hesitation.

"I love you, Nanami. And I know now isn't the best timing considering what you're about to do... But I have to let you know. If you wanted to, you could come back to the Leaf Village to be with me. Or... or you could stay here and become the leader of your clan. Whatever you do, I just want you to be happy. And if staying here would make you happy... Well, I understand. But if staying together with me, forever, would make you happy... Then I'd work the rest of my life to make sure it stays that way."

Kiba released her hands from his and looked into her silver eyes. They were wide, somewhat uncomprehending, of what he had just admitted to her. After a few moments, she blinked, realizing that there was something in her palm. She turned her hand over and opened it to reveal the sapphire ring he'd placed there.

The silver-eyed beauty gasped and kept her eyes fixed on the ring. Kiba waited, painfully, for her to say something, anything. But she stood there in quiet disbelief. After what seemed like hours, Murai cleared her throat and walked up to Nanami to place a hand on her shoulder.

"It's time," Murai said softly.

Nanami looked over her shoulder at Murai. "Oh...uh, right."

She turned away from him and took a few steps toward the large double doors. Akamaru whimpered and Aozora cast a sad look at Kiba, appearing disappointed as well. Kiba's face contorted in pain and he couldn't take his eyes off her back. Nanami stopped then and paused.

"Lady N?"

Nanami looked at the ring again and slipped it on to her finger. Reaching behind her head, she undid the clasp of the sapphire pin. Kiba half-expected her hair to fall against her back, just as it had the last time she'd released it from her hair while fighting Sou. He remembered the moment where the side bangs of her hair that had been braided, loosened and flowed delicately over her shoulders. But her up-do stayed in place, no doubt being held by more pins than that.

The girl turned to Murai and placed what Kiba knew to be a hidden scroll in Murai's hands.

"W-what?" The girl questioned, staring widely at Nanami.

Nanami smiled back to her and answered, "I want you to take my place."

"But... but, Lady N, I can't do that."

"Of course you can!" Nanami smiled warmly back at her. "This was never my dream. But it's always been yours. You'll do a much better job than I ever could. And I'm sure Shifuku will help you."

"This is your mothers, though! I can't take this. Wouldn't you miss it?"

Nanami's smile turned sad for a moment and she clutched at her dress once more. "Yeah, I will. But now I have her dress so... It'll be okay. Besides, I know this is the best choice and I know that my mother would be happy for me."

"Lady N..." Tears welled up in Murai's eyes at the gesture.

"It's Nanami."

Murai laughed and nodded at her. "Nanami."

Nanami grinned widely and bowed her head. "Lady M."

Then she turned to Kiba who was standing dumbstruck during the entire exchange. What had just happened? Was she actually saying yes? Warmth for the kunoichi in front of him filled his stomach and he crossed their distance to take her hand in his. Kiba smiled then, running his thumb over her left ring finger. The metal felt much better to his touch now that it was against her skin.

The Nekoyama clan allowed them to witness the ceremony. Normally something such as this would have never been allowed. However, things were different now, not only because Nanami and Kiba would be married, but also thanks to the strong alliance that had been formed during the war.

Kiba watched next to Nanami in a dimly lit room, her hand in his, as Murai walked down a path towards an altar. It was surrounded by candles and clan members stood on either side, watching the spectacle. Murai's cat followed beside her, a small black feline with a white patch of fur over its right eye.

When Murai and her ninja cat reached the altar, she undid the sapphire barrette from her braid. She placed it between her palms and did a few hand signs that turned it back to its true form, a sacred scroll. He heard Shino and Hinata make a small noise of surprise next to him. He smiled, remembering clearly the moment he'd first found out.

Murai grabbed the end of the scroll and pulled it to unfold. She then placed it onto the altar and took a kunai from the pouch on her leg. She used the knife to make a cut on her hand and her ninja cat's paw. With blood on her fingers, Murai used the red liquid to write her and the cat's name on the scroll.

"What are they doing?" Kiba asked Nanami in a hushed tone.

Nanami leaned her head on Kiba's shoulder and replied, "Their bonding as one. This scroll will fuse their blood and chakra together. It'll allow them to use our secret technique."

"Didn't you already do this?" he questioned.

"Yes and no," Nanami said. "I was a stand-in as the scroll's keeper while Father was a clan- leader stand-in until I came of age. Or, in this case, until the official clan leader was chosen. We were allowed to use the scroll, but we never officially bonded as one so it was only half power."

 _Half power?_ Kiba thought. He remembered how she and Aozora basically transformed into a humanoid beast. With pitch-black eyes, she looked like a beautiful demon. Cold-blooded and terrifying, but also mesmerizing. Kiba had to resist a shudder, imagining what full power would have looked like.

"The Nekoyama clan is a somewhat matriarchal society," Nanami continued, oblivious to Kiba's reaction. "We have men on our council and as part of our clan elders, but only women carry the scroll. It's something about the nurturing side of women that allows the fusing of chakra to blend more seamlessly. Knowing I was set to be the leader, my father tried so hard to shape me in his image."

Kiba understood this. Most medical ninjas tended to women as they usually had better chakra control. He watched as Murai and the cat pressed their hand and paw onto the scroll parchment, making their prints.

A thought struck Kiba and he asked her, "What about your brother? He was the elder of the two of you. If he was still here, would that mean you would've still been chosen?"

"Not necessarily. Men can still be chosen as clan leaders. A woman is typically both leader and keeper of the scroll. But there have been times in the past when a man was made the leader and a woman kept the scroll. It's easier that way. My mother did both. There have been times in the past when a husband ran the clan and his wife kept the scroll. Sometimes it's a brother and sister. It's up to the discretion of the council. Similar to the choosing of a Kage, they must come to an agreement. And much to the annoyance of my father, they couldn't agree to him as the permanent leader."

A strong charka surrounded Murai and her black cat that became visible to the human eye. As the chakra built up around them, it began to touch the other and then fuse together. The exchange of chakra took about three minutes, and the room was deathly quiet as Murai and the feline concentrated their entire strength into the exchange.

When it ended and the chakra faded, Murai smiled widely. The scroll quickly folded back in on itself, snapping shut. It then turned back into the barrette and Murai pinned it into her hair. She turned to face the clan, she and her cat nearly glowing. The clan erupted into claps and cheers, congratulating their new leader.

It was a powerful experience and Kiba felt a pang in his chest, feeling a little guilty for taking this from Nanami. Sensing his remorse, Nanami gently squeezed Kiba's hand. He looked down at her and saw she was genuinely smiling up at him in reassurance that he was what she truly wanted. Warmth flooded his heart and he wondered what he had ever done in life to deserve this moment.

As they traveled on a boat back to the Leaf Village, Kiba could hardly take his eyes off Nanami the entire time. He ached for a moment alone, which they hadn't had. The silver hair that touched the small of her back was pulled together by a long white ribbon. She kept her hair loose and in a low ponytail against her neck. She pushed back the tendrils of hair framing her face that swayed in the salty breeze.

The beauty in front of him was wearing her ninja gear, which included a long dark blue skirt with slits on the sides that revealed her tall, toned legs. Black, knee-length fishnet peaked beneath the skirt, which had a high waist. The dark blue loose cropped shirt she donned revealed her small midriff. The look finished off with black ninja sandals, gloves, and her mist village headband around her forehead.

When they finally made it back together to his home, no _their_ home, he led her towards her old apartment. He handed her the key and she smiled then excitedly opened the door.

Kiba quickly whirled around to face Akamaru and Aozora.

"Look do you guys think you could, like, leave us alone for a few hours?"

Akamaru obliged him and to Kiba's surprise, even Aozora listened to him, although she still snubbed her nose at him a little. Kiba smiled and turned back to Nanami, closing the door behind him. The apartment was exactly as she'd left it, although that wasn't saying much considering she had never decorated it in the first place. Nanami made her way to the couch and flopped on it.

"I'm so _tired_ ," Nanami whined.

Kiba chuckled as she turned onto her side, facing him. Her silver eyes caught sight of the vase of lilies on the coffee table and she smiled.

"You knew I'd be back," she stated, blushing.

Kiba rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was hoping that you would."

Nanami closed her eyes and sat up on the sofa. When she opened them again, she was looking at him with such intense longing that it startled him. Warmth radiating down his body and his gaze softened in return. She stood as Kiba crossed the distance between them and he put one arm around her waist and grabbed her with the other by the back of the neck, pulling her lips to his. Nanami took a sharp breath in and the pleasant sound made Kiba grip her tighter, his nails piercing skin.

He was momentarily worried that he may have hurt her but all inhibition left him when she returned his rough touch by running her claws through his hair. He licked her bottom lip and she opened her mouth without hesitation. Kiba's hands traveled past her waist to her thighs and he lifted her. Both of Nanami's legs wrapped around him and she squeezed his midsection with her thighs. Kiba growled and bit her lip, then moved to press her back against the wall. Her chest pressed tightly against his as he pinned her there. Kiba ran his lips past her jaw to her neck and he took a moment to breathe in her sweet and salty scent before nipping at the skin there. He could _smell_ her arousal and how much she wanted him, which turned him on all the more. Nanami moaned and Kiba smirked against her. He had a feeling their night was about to get a little rough. Two years was much too long to wait.

* * *

In her late 20's, Nanami's life was better than she ever would have imagined it could be. The future had always looked bleak when she was a child, being pinned to a fate that she didn't want. For the first time since her mother died, Nanami finally had a home and a true family.

"Kaiyo don't forget your headband!" Nanami called as her son and his dog tried to race out the door.

"I wasn't going to forget it," Kaiyo grumbled as he back to his mother and took it from her. He reached behind his silver hair to tie it around his forehead, brandishing the Leaf symbol proudly. Nanami bent down and kissed his cheek, right where his red clan marking was.

"Mom!" he cried out, rubbing the spot with the back of his hand. "I'm not a kid anymore! I'm a genin now!"

Nanami rolled her eyes playfully and her daughter Natsu walked up behind her.

"You would think a real genin wouldn't be so forgetful and irresponsible," the younger girl quipped, tossing back her wavy brown hair.

"Shut it, squirt. Talk to me when you've graduated from the academy."

"I'm only eight and I'm already better than you!" the girl yelled back, annoyed.

"Hey, now," Nanami said in exasperation. "Both of you stop and head off before you're late."

"Listen to your, mother." Kiba walked up behind his wife and placed an arm on her waist. "You two are lucky you don't have my mother. Your heads would be through a wall for that kind of talk."

The two kids shivered, knowing their grandmother's temperament all too well.

"Bye, mom!" Kaiyo raced out the door and his dog followed behind.

"Bye momma," Natsu stood on her tiptoes, willingly allowing her mother to kiss the blue mark on her cheek.

"Have a good day!" Nanami yelled after her daughter, who's small ninja cat pranced alongside.

"Be safe," Kiba said, parting with them as well.

Kiba used the arm around Nanami's waist to pull her closer to him. Her back pressed against his chest and he rested his head on her shoulder as he sniffed her hair. Nanami giggled under her husband's touch and she lifted her hand to run her fingers through his slicked back, nearly shoulder-length hair. His goatee tickled Nanami's exposed skin and he placed soft kisses against her ear.

"You don't have to work at the veterinary clinic today, do you?" He whispered in her ear.

Nanami shook her head. "I have the day off."

Kiba smirked against her. "Come here, Kitten."

She turned towards her husband as he took her into a kiss that was his usual style, which was rough. Nanami's lips smiled against his. Between kisses, Nanami caught a peak at the framed photo in the living room. Kiba and Nanami stood alongside each other, smiling as their two small children posed in front of them. Who knew that she'd end up marrying a temperamental baka?

* * *

 **Author: THE END! Honestly, I'm not sure if marriage is the only way a ninja can move without becoming a missing-nin. I made it up a little, but I kind of assume that's how it is considering how they seem to take that very seriously. The only ninja's I've seen move are the ones who have married. But I have yet to see any episodes of Boruto sooooo if it's explained there then I'm sorry. Also, I wanted to keep this story T but I'm considering writing an M rated one-shot for Kiba and Nanami's love scenes (the one in this chapter and when they first hooked up). If that's something you're interested in then let me know. I've never written M scenes before so it would be a bit of an experiment. Thanks again for sticking until the end! :)**


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